Saturday, November 29, 2008

Book review - In the Shadow of the Moons

In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family by Nansook Hong.

This was a good book. The last book I read Unification Church covered just theology from a Christian perspective. This book does cover some theology, but it is primarily the story of one woman's life in the Unification Church.

Ms. Hong was raised in the cult from the time she was born and new no other way of life. The Rev. Moon chose Ms. Hong to marry his eldest son. The eldest son turned out to be an abusive womanizer strung out on drugs and alcohol. Nevertheless, Ms. Hong felt it was her lot in life to live the way she did and did not seek to escape for 14 years and after having five children.

She talks about Mr. and Mrs. Moon, their lavish lifestyles, and how church donations were handled. Sun Myung Moon was even convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to 18 months in prison. The Moons felt they were above everybody else and lorded it over them. They neglected their own children, religious work being "more important." They were not the picture of sinless people, the "True Parents."

This is a very good book and I highly recommend it for anyone who's interested in an insider's view of the Unification Church.

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