Divine Principle

Beliefs

Moon's theological system, Divine Principle, was developed over a period of nine years. According to Moon, Jesus appeared to him on Easter Sunday 1935 on the mountainside and asked him to continue the work that he could not finish while he was on earth, due to the "tragedy" of his crucifixion. It was first published as Wolli Wonbon (원리 원본; 原理原本, 'Original Text of the Divine Principle') in 1945. The earliest manuscript was lost in North Korea during the Korean War. A second, expanded version, Wonli Hesol (원리 해설; 原理解說), or Explanation of the Divine Principle, was published in 1957. The Divine Principle  or Exposition of the Divine Principle (원리강론; 原理講論; Wolli Gangnon) is the main theological textbook of the church. It was co-written by Sun Myung Moon and early disciple Hyo Won'eu and first published in 1966. A translation entitled Divine Principle was published in English in 1973. The Divine Principle lays out the core of Unification Church theology and is held by its believers to have the status of holy scripture.