What are Dual Characteristics and how do they reflect God's nature?

Question

Sun Myung Moon · Accepted Answer

Understanding God's Dual Characteristics is crucial for grasping the fundamental nature of our Creator, as reflected in all things. This understanding resolves long-standing theological questions about God's essence and how humanity, made in God's image, fully embodies the divine, presenting God as an omnipresent, balanced, and complete Heavenly Parent. Just as an artist is known through their art, God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—are clearly seen through what has been made (Romans 1:20), indicating a principle-governed origin for all existence. The Biblical Foundation The Bible lays a foundational bedrock for understanding God's nature, starting with the creation of humanity. Genesis 1:27 strikingly declares, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." This verse is not merely a biological statement but a profound theological revelation, implying that God's essence encompasses both original essential masculinity and original essential femininity. This is further reinforced by Genesis 1:26, which states, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion..." The plural "us" suggests a comprehensive divine nature from which duality emerged. While traditional theology has often viewed God in solely masculine terms, the Bible contains hints of God's broader, more inclusive nature. Isaiah 49:15, for instance, likens God's compassion to that of a mother for her child: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" This portrays God with profound maternal love. The creation story consistently uses "it is good" at each stage, culminating in "it is very good" after creating human beings (Genesis 1:31). This illustrates God's joy in creating object partners that resemble Him. This joy comes from an "uncontrollable urge to love object partners who look like him and look like her." These instances suggest a more comprehensive understanding of God's image, which traditional theology has often struggled to fully integrate. This has led to an incomplete appreciation of divine love and its multifaceted expression. Divine Principle's Clarification The Divine Principle offers a profound and systematic clarification of God's nature through the concept of Dual Characteristics. It teaches that God, as the ultimate origin and Absolute Being, possesses an inherent, unified structure consisting of two complementary characteristics: internal character (mind, purpose, will) and external form (essential form, energy, matter). Furthermore, within this framework, God inherently contains the harmonious, complementary attributes of original essential masculinity (Yang) and original essential femininity (Yin). The Principle states, "God is the original being composed of the harmony between original essential character and original essential form, and original essential masculinity and original essential femininity." This means that the entire cosmos, from subatomic particles like protons and electrons (positive and negative ions) to human beings, reflects this fundamental pattern of paired forces or qualities—an intrinsic principle of plus and minus. Even energy has internal characteristics of purpose and design. Crucially, the Divine Principle explains that this internal duality in God's nature provides the precise blueprint for the substantial manifestation of man and woman. "God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he them; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27), and "What God has put together, let no man cast asunder" (Matthew 19:6), as husband and wife become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). This concept reveals God as "our Heavenly Parent," embodying both fatherly and motherly aspects. This framework eliminates any theological basis for gender inequality, as both male and female are equally and essentially reflections of God's complete nature. It reveals that the ultimate expression of God is not in a single gender, but in the harmonious relationship between the genders. This Principle of Creation supplements other philosophies like the I Ching by recognizing God as a personal entity with intellect, emotion, and will, who imbues purpose and value into creation, beyond just Yin and Yang. Living the Principle Understanding God's Dual Characteristics has profound practical implications for our daily lives: 1. Embrace Complementarity: Recognize and value the inherent balance and partnership in all relationships, especially between men and women, reflecting God's own harmonious duality. 2. Cultivate Inner Harmony: Strive to align your internal character (mind, conscience, purpose) with your external form (body, actions), achieving individual maturity centered on God's love, as part of the first blessing to "be fruitful." 3. Parental Love: Reflect God's nature as Heavenly Parent by nurtu

What are Dual Characteristics and how do they reflect God's nature?

The Biblical Foundation

Divine Principle's Clarification

Living the Principle

Sources and further reading