Unification View of History
History as Providential
Unification thought sees history as the theater in which God works voluntarily constrained by self-imposed principles that accommodate radical human free will, in order to complete God’s providential purposes for the world. Unification thought sees God at work in history seeking to guide and influence human decision-making toward a mutually beneficial end, therefore history is not a series of accidents or merely the story of human achievements, successes and failures. History, in Unification thought, is to be understood from three perspectives—that of the origianl purpose of creation, that of the Fall, that of restoration (or re-creation). Since the first human couple, (sometimes called Adam and Eve), sinned and spoiled God’s original ideal and plan of creation, God has worked in history to guide the recreation of human beings in our shared effort to restore the world to perfection. History therefore is interpreted "providentially." God’s aim is to restore ideal, "God-centered" families. When pure, true love obtains between each individual and God, extends itself to manifest between husband and wife, among parents and children, among siblings and from there to one's clan, tribe, neighbors and all ever expanding levels of social oranization, AND when the "family of humankind" engage nature in a mutual and loving relationship, the work of restoration will be complete and the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth is fully present. As human beings naturally pass into "eternal life," this "Kingdom of heaven" expands to the "Kingdom of heaven in heaven" as well. Unification speaks of a 6,000 period during which God has been searching for the true family. During this period, God is longing to enter a truly loving relationship with humanity, whose purpose is to become the 'object partner of God's heart' (Exposition of the Divine Principle: 402)
The Goal of History
The goal of history is restoration or "re-creation," namely reversing the "Fall" in order to enable the realization of the original, ideal world of creation. The first requisite is for a "chosen" person to make a successful offering, as Abel did in the Genesis account. After this, the person (or even family, all the way up to nations) must help dissolve the pain and resentment of those who do not stand in this blessed position. When individuals or even nations co-operate with God both in the chosen position blessed with faith, AND in the position of pained and rejected, history moves towards its goal. But when people (of either sort) put their own interests first, history fails to progress and may even digress or regress. Successes or failures, and progress or regress hinge upon actors with "providential" roles unique to both men and women respectively. Unification thought analyzes history by categorizing nations and prominent personalities as Abel-like and as Cain-like, as well as occupying Adam's or Eve's position in recapituatling the narratives of "Fall" and restoration. The influences of Satan, and of God’s Angelic and Archangelic servants, are also be read into historical events. According to Unification views (as with many other traditions) enmity arose even between genders, as a result of the Fall. This enmity too affects history. History therefore is the story of the cosmic struggle between good and evil. The ultimate goal is unification – of men and women, different races and religions and of the human family within a single world and "cosmos" descended from the "lineage of God" and the original human ancestors. The concept or "power" of 'give and take' is also important - it is a genrative energy capable of serving the cause and expanding the realm either of good or evil. The aim is restoration of what humanity lost at the Fall. It requires the harmony of 'spiritual and material civilization' (Exposition: 406). The end of history will thus see 'all of humanity...become one people...establishing a global nation under God' (Exposition: 411). According to Unification thought, the self-identification as Messiah announced by Sun Myung Moon in 1992 inaugurated the 'completed testament age', which represents the penultimate stage of progress towards realization or restoration of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. In this age, all previous religious dispensations can be fulfilled, and manifest fully without hindrance.
Unification Historiography and Historical Dialectic Approaches
Unification historiography shares common elements with such approaches as Marxist and Hegelian in what has been called a ‘law-governed’ understanding of history. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770 - 1831) understood history in terms of the process of ‘thesis’-‘antithesis’ and ‘synthesis' through which humanity would progress towards the triumph of reason over irrationality. Freedom, in his view, would be the end of history. Karl Heinrich Marx (1818 - 1883) believed that dialectic is at work in history, whereby the ideal human society in which all own the means of production will be achieved by a process in which those who are oppressed become conscious of their condition and rise up against their oppressors. Unification thought presents the laws of recreation and restoration as the true laws of history. It replaces Marxist inner dynamic of material as the mover within history with God, hence 'Godism' is sometimes used as a desription of Unification Thought. Unification historiography also resonates with a World History approach. World history seeks to avoid a Euro-centric view of the world that locates all human achievement in the West and seeks to construct a holistic view of what was happening in the world at any given time. World history also identifies tendencies and parallels, such as the birth of the City at about the same time in China, Central America and Mesopotamia, or the simultaneous flourishing of philosophy that occurred during the Axial Age in different parts of the world. In Unification thought, such parallel developments were not accidental but can be seen as examples of history progressing providentially towards restoration. Unification history identifies such parallels as those between the Hebrews 400 years of slavery in Egypt, and 400 years of Christian persecution under Rome, or 400 years of rule by the Judges of Israel and 400 years of the Church Patriarchs (see Exposition: 302–303 and 307–308) as parallel time periods. These particular parallels describe the "prolongation" of restoration. This can result from "providential failures." In order to restore opportunity for progress that is lost through such "failure," indemnity must "be paid." This and other parallels of differing time-lenghts make up what known as ‘ages of providential time-identity.’ Unification sees the founding and arising of all true religions as related to God. Thus God stands behind all history (not exclusively behind that of a particular nation or religion). 'God', says the Exposition of the Divine Principle, 'has founded religions and worked through them to elevate people's spirituality by internally purifying people of satanic elements' (98). Each religion was divinely established to suit different regions and cultures (327). In Unification thought, the 'evolution of cultural spheres' which included the absorption of 'lesser cultural spheres' into 'the more advanced spheres' is providential, moving towards the emergence of a single culture and 'the restoration of one united world' (Exposition: 85 - 86). Specifically, the cultural spheres of East Asia, of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity and Judaism are said to be converging, to form 'one global cultural sphere based on the "lineage implications" implied by unique aspects of Jesus' teaching.
Unification Historiography and World History
In Unification thought, parts of the world may be especially blessed at specific times in order that God’s purposes can be advanced. Thus, Britain’s colonial possessions though riddled with (harmful and unnecessary) behavior offensive to God, nevertheless are interpreted as originally designed to serve God's greater purpose and strategy. God blessed England, allowing industrial and commercial development, which was spread widely throughout her Empire. Thus, 'The mass prodcution born of the Industrial Revolution led England to claim vast colonies as sources of raw material and markets for goods. In so doing, the Industrial Revolution opened up a vast territory for the propogation of the Gospel (though even this was often done in harmful ways). Accordingly, it contributed to both the internal and external aspects of the providence of restoration' (Exposition: 363-4). While occupying other people’s territory is unacceptable, the legacy of Empire was not entirely negative. The spread of Christianity was providential according to Unification thought–teaching love of enemies and a life centered on God and this was greatly aided as a result of Britain’s imperial achievements. Britain’s development as a ‘Christian nation’ was providential, and the cultural link with Rome is also important as part of the process by which achievements that promote unity and peace (the Pax Romana) are preserved and passed on for future generations. An example of how this providential view of history sheds theological light on an historical event can be illustrated by an analysis of World War Two. In World War Two, the nation "on God’s side" (England), occupies the position of ‘restored Eve nation’ in opposing Germany understood as the "Adam nation on Satan's side." Unification thought sees significance in the fact that Britain was blessed with prosperity during the reign of several Queens, again supporting this notion of restored Eve. As an island nation, Britain was well suited providentially to establish an Empire. Her spirit is "feminine," that of a Mother (feminine-type). In this position it is understood that she "gave birth" to the providentially significant "Christian nation" United States of a America (an "archangelic type nation"). Of course the US has had a highly significant role to play in world affairs given its historical responsibility to lead the world towards unity. In World War Two, God protected England because her providential role and responsibilities. British democracy is considered an 'Abel-type' democracy because it was 'founded by sincere Christians, the fruits of the Abel-type view of life' and was 'born out of their victorious fight with absolutism to win religious freedom' (Exposition: 360). It is taught in Unification thought that the US had the mission to bring about world unity following WWII, but failed to do so in allowing through misguided negotiations with the communist Soviet Union. These led to the division of Germany, Soviet occupation of the Eastern bloc, and especially tragically the horrible division of the Korean peninsula and its people. The period of the Cold War is, in Unification thought, viewed as a contest between on the one hand the democratic world, which centered on Christian thought, built the Abel-type individual, family, nation and world and the communist world on the other which built their own Cain-type individual, family, nation and the world. Korea was providentially placed as the True, or Restored Parents' birthplace as a nation where East met West and where many of the great religions of the World, such as Confucianism, Buddhism and Christianity encountered each other. Sometimes, the great civilizations of the World are termed as different 'Israels' - the first Israel was the Hebrew nation, the second was the Christian world which has shifted from Europe to the USA while the third Israel is Korea. Unification teaches that there has been a providential flow of culture, starting with the river civilizations of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, moving to the Mediterranean basin, then to North Europe (especially to the island nation of Great Britain), from there to the Americas and beyond due to colonial exapansion and Christian missionary endeavour and that this process will culminate with all civilizations bear fruiting in Korea (Exposition: 407).
History: Moral Lessons
From a Unification perspective, the study of history is not primarilly concerned with politics or imperial expansion or with wars and military exploits but with learning moral lessons. The questions to be asked of an historical period are - were people living righteosly, did they enjoy the three blessings of a loving relationship with God, a loving family in the context of peaceful, safe and secure societies and a balanced, harmonious and respectful relationship with the created order (the natural environment), God's creation? Unification history, unlike political history but in common with such approaces as the Annales school (see Historiography ) is concerned with the contribution of culture, the arts and scholarship towards realizing the goal of history. Unification history is interested in how families, communities and societies experienced life as well as in the achievements of gifted individuals. It is interested in how easy it was for people to live morally good lives, to establish secure families, in whether sexual fidelity was encouraged or whether infidelity was condoned. Taking the view that peace cannot be achieved through war (but that war is sometimes necessary), Unification history wants to celebrate the example of people who have brought beauty into the world through music and art, and those who, through scholarship, have helped to show that non-violence, justice and removing causes of conflict are more noble ways of working to achieve the hope of all ages, a unified world of peace. Helping to restore balance in the world, between the ugly and the beautiful, the good and the bad, is also an indemnity payment towards restoration of the lost original - a perfect world.
Evaluating History
In Unificationist perspective, the value of an individual's moral contribution to history would center on whether they united people of different races or religion, or divided them, whether they filled the world with beauty and learning, or made it a darker, more fearful, more ignorant place, whether they enabled people to enjoy secure family lives centered on God or contributed to the break-up of marriages and to the alienation of parents from their children. Did the societies in which they played an influential or leading role honor or dishonor God, were they moral or immoral? Was marriage honored or dishonered? Were these societies sexually permissive or was sex outside of marriage regarded as illicit? Nonetheless, someone whose life was of historical significance but whose main contribution was violent, or who was not blessed with a happy family, may still be judged to have played a positive role if, as a result of their actions, the world became a more stable place, or people of different races were brought together, or an even more Satanic force or power in the world was defeated. Thus, 'although there have been times when evil seemed to prevail, in the end the relatively evil social forces and political forced declined and were absorbed by the more godly forces', so 'the wars which have shaped the rise and fall of nations' were 'unaviodable during the course of the providence to re-establish the reign of the good' (Exposition: 99).
Gender Balance
Unification thought is also interested in gender balance, so it asks whether female insights and feminine inclinations towards nurture and caring were valued or not at particular periods in history. An historical period or event may be evaluated in terms of gender balance - were the yin and the yang in opposition or harmony? For example, a dialogue approach to solving a dispute can be seen as healthy, with harmony between the yin and yang while an approach that seeks to impose solutions, that enters negotiations or diplomatic talks with hardened attitudes, is dominated by the yang. In Unification Thought, God as the 'subject' partner of creation, the first cause of all things, 'has dual characteristics of yin and yang in perfect harmony' (Exposition: 18). All created objects have yin and yang and only when these are in harmony can 'objects', that is, created beings enter a relationship of reciprocal love with their Creator. Historical periods when humanity's external, masculine nature (yang) has been at war or at odds with humanity's more sensitive, internal, feminine nature (the yin) have been dominated by Satan, times when yin and yang have worked in harmony have been God-centered. According to the Divine Principle, 'Yang and Yin have the following mutual relationships: internal and external, cause and effect, vertical and horizontal'. When God created Eve from Adam's rib, the result was a manifestation of masculinity and feminity (19). When the yin flourishes, so does art and culture which can create the right type of conditions for peace to blossom. When masculinity dominates, art can be misused as it was in Nazi Germany to fuel attitudes of racial or ideological supremacy, to make the world a darker not a lighter, happier place. Therefore, the value or quality of a civilization's, culture's or historical period's artistic legacy can be judged with reference to the yin-yang relationship. Art for Hitler had to conform to his ideas of the racial superiority of the Aryans. Known as 'national socialist realism' it depicted healthy out-of-doors activities, country life (living off or close to the land) or blond, blue eyed patriots. For example, Rieger's (1941) paining of a boy in the Hitler Youth Movement. This underscored contrast with how Jews were depicted - as unheathy, mainly town dwellers who lived off other people by embezzling their wealth. Nazi propaganda depicted Jews as demonic looking money swindlers. One banner entitled the 'Legion of Shame' (Augsut 1935; carried in issue 37 of Der Stürmer) accompanied the caption:
- Ignorant, lured by gold,
- They stand disgraced in Judah's fold.
- Souls poisoned, blood infected,
- Disaster broods in their wombs.
This is one of many such examples. Unification historiography, then, is also interested in what we can learn about the values of an epoch from its art, and uses this to deduce whether Abel-types or Cain-types were the dominant cultural influence. The use that Unification Thought makes of symbols drawn from Chinese Thought (such as from the Book of Changes (I Ching) is an example of how it sees worth, value and divinely revealed truth in all cultures. Indeed, the Divine Principle is offered as the key to understanding such truth which is true because it originates from, and is in accord with, creation itself.
Balance of Left and Right: Headwing Ideology
Much historical writing uses a 'left' 'right' analysis to interpret ideas and values that leaders, political parties, social movements or cultural trends represent. In this analysis, 'left' means liberal - stressing liberty, free choice, equality of opportunity and possibly advocating some form of wealth re-distribution. 'Left' may be associated with 'big government', with state owned health care, for example. 'Right' is associated with social conservatism. It tends to support capitalism and private enterprise, arguing that 'small government' costs less, so needs less tax thus leaving people with more money in their pockets to buy services, such as health care, for themselves. Communism represented the left, democracy the right. In this analysis, left-wingers would usually support women's right to abortion, while right-wingers would support the embryo's right to live. Unification thought seeks to unify these two tendencies, as it seeks to Unify Thought. It advocates that the best solutions may draw from right and from left wing thought, that what is required is 'Headwing' ideology that combines body, mind and soul in a concerted effort to addresss and to solve the challenges facing humanity and global survival. Therefore, Unification history is also interested to see how 'Head-wing' type thought, drawing on spiritual as well as on other material or ideological resources, contributed to any time period or culture that the historian studies.
The End of Religion
Unification thought anticipates that the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, brought about by the true fidelity to God of blessed families, will transcend all present religious boundaries. Even Unificationism itself will have completed its providential role. William Ernest Hocking (1873-1966) the American philosopher of religion similarly advocated a 'Coming World Civilization' in which all religions, like single upper rivers, would join a united lower, single stream. Drawing on a Hindu analogy, he commented that the place where streams join is especially sacred, because all the rivers have realized their 'full being'. Nor can the lower, united stream be called by the name of either single stream. 'Retaining the symbols of their historic pieties, the great faiths will grow in their awareness of a unity more significant than the remaining differences', he wrote. Such a mission, to 'do itself out of a job', serves well as a description of Unification's goal in terms of the fulfilment of God's providential purposes within history. It is pergahps people's unwillingness to concede that religion has a limited purpose that encourages enmity and rivalry rather than cooperation and harmony between people of different faith.
Sang Hun Lee (1914-1999)
The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification movement, asked Sang Hun Lee to systematize or to develop Unificationist Thought. Dr. Lee did so, based on Rev. Moon's sermons and on personal conversations with him and as a result the Unification theory of history, as described above, was formulated against the backdrop of a critique of Marxist philosophy. Dr Lee's books included Explaining Unification Thought (1981) and Essentials of Unification Thought (1992). He had written Communism: A New Critique and Counter Proposal in 1975. Marxist history is moved by productive and by material forces, Unification history is moved by a combination of divine and human forces. Marxist history will inexorable move towards its goal, independently of peoples' will. In Unification thought, history progresses towards its goal when people choose to fulfill their portion of responsibility.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Hocking, William Ernest The Coming World Civilization, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1956 ISBN 0837168511
- Sun Myung Moon The Way of Unification (Vol 1) (chapter three, section one'The Second World War'; 1998, NY, The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, ISBN ISBN 1-892163-02-0(http://www.unification.org/ucbooks/HDH/WU1/)
- Sang Hun Lee Essentials of Unification Thought: The Headwing Thought (chapter 8, 'Theory of History) 1992, NY, Unification Though Institute (http://www.unification.org/ucbooks/euth/index.html)
- Exposition of the Divine Principle, NY, HSA-UWC, 1996, ISBN 0 910621 80 2
