A Ph.D. in Theology Is Awarded to Rev. Joong Hyun Pak

Victoria Clevenger
December 12,1986

Rev. Joong Hyun Pak receives his Ph.D. from Dr. Walker.

Rev. Joong Hyun Pak, a 430 blessed Couple who recently served as regional church director in the United States, received a Ph.D. in theology from Golden State University in Los Angeles, California, on December 12, 1986. Rev. Pak, who has a B.A. in political science, submitted a 110-page dissertation entitled "The Beatitudes: Jesus' Blueprint for Re-Creation," in which he shows how God's desire to give Adam and Eve the Three Blessings (Gen. 1:28) is expanded by Jesus in the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-12) and serves as the major theme that runs throughout all 66 books of the Bible. Rev. Pak also received well-deserved credit for his life experience in "Christian Administration" -- namely, his past 25 years' working as a church leader in many different areas.

His motivation to write this thesis, Rev. Pak said, sprang from his desire to teach, in a real and vital way, the insights he has gleaned from the Bible based on the words of our True Father and the Principle. On the first page, the dissertation is dedicated "with deepest love and gratitude to the Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, who gave me new love, new life, and a new ideal."

In his work, Rev. Pak elucidates the meaning of the nine Beatitudes as the nine stages that man must fulfill in order to become the substantial incarnation of God's ideal. He places particular emphasis on the ninth Beatitude: "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven." He explains that the people of Jesus' day, in failing to fulfill this most crucial Beatitude -- that is, failing to witness to the Messiah -- completely lost the possibility of creating the Kingdom of Heaven that was promised. He stresses the absolute importance of fulfilling this Beatitude at the time of the Second Advent.

Dr. Wallace Walker, president of Golden State University, was deeply inspired by Rev. Pak's work and said he wants to have the dissertation printed in the yearly compilation of the most outstanding doctoral theses submitted in the United States.

Father and Mother were very happy and proud to learn of Rev. Pak's accomplishment. Father signed a copy of his dissertation and announced the award at a leaders' meeting. Father was especially pleased to see how Rev. Pak's effort witnesses to the insight of the Principle in a way that is extremely valuable for theologians and ministers. He noted that Rev. Pak achieved his degree without taking time from his church work to study at a university. Rev. Pak said that to be able to write it, he had to pray very deeply and make a strong connection to the spirit world, as well as use his time -- while traveling, for example -- to its fullest advantage.

Rev. Pak, who has served as director of the Performing Arts Department in New York and as regional leader in Boston, Denver, and Seattle, is now working in Korea. He plans to do more research and exposition on how the Principle can illuminate the Bible. He is an excellent example of how all of us, even though we may be engaged in full-time church activities, can constantly stretch ourselves to apply and witness to Father's ideas in many creative ways. Such testimony to the value of True Parents helps us fulfill the ninth Beatitude in our own lives.