The Words of the Gullery Family
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The Words of the Gullery Family |
Unification Books officially opened its doors late last year in New York City, at 4 West 43rd Street. Run by HSA-UWC Publications, the store has established itself as well-run business in a very short time.
For years, church members here in New York and visiting missionaries from around the world have been used to climbing the stairs at the U.S. National Headquarters on 43rd Street. Now that the store opens on the street, not only our members but also the public are free to come in and browse.
Most of us can remember the flurry of excitement when Dr. Frederick Sontag's book, Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church, was published in 1977. This was the first book that treated the church in any objective way at all. It broke new ground. One look around our store shows how much has been written since then.
I can remember when Father would say that professors and scholars would show a real interest in the church and write about us. Now all this seems to be happening. One of the latest books is a response from one of the mainline American churches to the new religious pluralism. They see the emergence of new faiths as a serious challenge to their own beliefs, stimulating them to provide their followers with a living experience of the divine.
A major advantage of the bookstore are the large display windows along the street. With a little creativity, we have been able to make very attractive displays that attract the attention of the passersby. Especially pleasing has been a large display on the Holy Wedding at Madison Square Garden earlier this year, including photographs, buttons, magazines, and some actual floor plans of the Garden made for the wed- ding itself.
New York City is so big, and many things are available. Sometimes it's easy to forget (until a missionary from Africa or South America comes to visit) that in other countries it is difficult to obtain even a few of the books on our shelves. I am always grateful to talk with members from overseas and show them the latest books and speeches that have come in. Recently a sister from the German family visited, and we discussed plans for books and ways of improving service to our church. After Sunday service, we always set up a book table, and many of our home church members are good patrons.
The store seems to be a real oasis of calm in the storm of mid-town Manhattan; it definitely has a homey atmosphere, and anybody is free to sit down as long as he pleases. Businessmen come in to look around. Blessed members with their children stop by. A room on the side of the store, visible from the street, will be set up as a video room, where we can show the latest releases, such as "People of the Quest" and the movie of the Madison Square Garden Blessing.
This project opens a new era in our public image, because we have materials available directly to the public. It takes a bit less courage for a curious person to enter the store than to climb four floors in a strange building.
In addition to church literature, such as a very popular six-volume Home Study Course and New Hope: Twelve Talks, we carry Bibles and books by popular inspirational authors (such as Tolkien and James Herriot). In the future, we hope to add the best books on theology and the sociology of religion.
New Church-related books:
God: The Contemporary Discussion, edited by Frederick Sontag and W. Darrol Bryant. Papers from the first God Conference. $11.50.
Hermeneutics Horizons: The shape of the future edited by Frank K. Flinn. Papers from a conference. $10.50.
Lifestyle: Conversations with members of the Unification Church, edited by Richard Quebedeaux. $9.95.
Outline of Principle, Level IV, Arabic translation. $9.50.
Founder's Addresses. Father's addresses at the first ten ICUS conferences. $5.95.
Reprints:
Home Study Course, 6 volumes. $18.00.
Rev. Sun Myung Moon -- Public Talks, Volume I. $3.25.
New Hope, 12 Talks. $5.00.
World Religions, by Dr. Young Oon Kim. Revised Edition, 2 volumes. Vol. I: $5.95; Vol. II: $7.95.
Pertinent books by other publishers:
Government Intervention in Religious Affairs, edited by Dean Kelly. Includes essays by Lawrence Tribe and Barry Fisher. $8.95.
Strange Gods: The Great American Cult Scene, by David G. Bromley and Anson D. Shupe, Jr. $4.95.
The Cult Experience: Responding to the New Religious Pluralism, by J. Gordon Merton and Robert L. Moore. Suggests positive response from parents when their children join cults. $7.95.
These books may be ordered from HSA Publications, 4 West 43rd Street, New York, New York, 10036. U.S. orders, add 10 percent for postage and handling. Overseas orders, add 20 percent. (Make check payable to HSA-UWC Publications.)
Unification Church books are also available from Joan Groom, room 928, 481 8th Avenue, New York, New York, 10001 USA. (Make check payable to Joan Groom.)
Forthcoming reprints:
A Prophet Speaks Today
Way of Tradition
New Hope: 12 Talks, Volume II. New collection.
Books in preparation:
Outline of Principle, Level IV. Spanish translation
Collection of Father's words on home church
Unification Church traditions, by Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak
New videotapes and films:
2,075-couple Holy Wedding. New Future Films documentary. $25.00 for videotape.
2,075-couple Wedding. Produced by Pat Powell, featuring interviews with various couples, human-interest style. $35.00 for videotape, $350.00 for film.
Korean Blessing, October 14, 1982. New Future Films documentary. $25.00 for videotape.
People of the Quest. $75.00 for videotape, $400.00 for film.
This film presents Father and our church in the light of past historical figures who also persevered through tremendous persecution to see their dream realized. Then the film takes the audience on a swift tour of our religious, educational and service projects, including Isshin Hospital in Tokyo, The Little Angels School for the Performing Arts in Seoul, International Relief and Friendship work in Africa, Ocean Church, Project Volunteer, Minority Alliance International, The National Council for Church and Social Action, home church work around the world, Sunday services in New York, Unification Theological Seminary, New ERA and the International Cultural Foundation conferences, and of course, father's life.
Videotapes and films may be purchased from New Future Films, 481 8th Avenue, New York, New York 10001.