Hugh Spurgin

The life-altering decision that Dr. Spurgin made as a young adult changed the trajectory of his life, resulting in a passionate commitment to dedicate his life to ushering in a peaceful kingdom of heaven on earth. His passion and worldview were shaped by the profound teachings and vision of Reverend Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon who were the charismatic founders and leaders of the Unification Church and are prophets for a new age. Hugh was moved by the utopian vision that Reverend and Mrs. Moon had of a God-centered world where people of all races, religions, and nationalities would live in peace and understanding.

Reflecting on a time when such new religious movements were rampant in America, Dr. Spurgin sheds light on his fifty-year journey as an educator and spiritual mentor who undertook challenging educational missions, organized peacebuilding efforts worldwide, set up a peace network that consisted of scholars in more than eighty nations, and shepherded an interdenominational seminary that faced financial and accreditation difficulties.

In Passion and Grit, the author has endeavored to present a glimpse of what it was like to have been one of the early leaders of the Unification Church in America. Readers will view that cultural and religious movement from the inside, as the movement took root when youth in America were seeking a deeper understand of God and the meaning and purpose of life. Motivated by a sincere desire to build a better world and to bring about love and peace among all of God’s children, Hugh tells the story of his role as a leader in the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in the early days of the birth of a new religious movement that has had a profound impact in America and in nations around the globe.