Inquisition (book)

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Inquisition is a book by Carlton Sherwood about the early 1980s investigation and trial of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, leader of the Unification Church for alleged tax evasion.

[edit] Objectivity of the author

Carlton Sherwood told Frontline that the Unification Movement exerted no editorial control over his book. [1]
Sherwood maintains that when he began, he was hoping to uncover dirt about Moon, but ended up concluding that the Rev and his followers “were and continued to be the victims of the worst kind of religious prejudice and racial bigotry this country has witnessed in over a century.” [2]
Rory O'Connor calls Sherwood's investigation "spurious" [3]
“Alfred Regnery was told by Carlton Sherwood that the Moon Organization would purchase one hundred thousand copies of Inquisition – at least according to former Washington Times editor James Whelan, another Regnery-Gateway author. But Alfred Regnery denies it.”
PBS's Frontline "obtained a copy of a letter addressed to Sun Myung Moon. The letter was written by James Gavin" - described by Frontline as a "Moon aide"
- Unification Church sources place him as a "special assistant" to well-known Moon aide Bo Hi Pak. [4]
In the letter, Gavin tells Moon he reviewed the ‘overall tone and factual contents’ of Inquisition before publication and suggested revisions.
- ‘Mr. Sherwood has assured me that all this will be done when the manuscript is sent to the publisher.’
- ‘When all of our suggestions have been incorporated, the book will be complete and in my opinion will make a significant impact… In addition to silencing our critics now, the book should be invaluable in persuading others of our legitimacy for many years to come.’