Sun Hyung Moon's influence held South Korea's Unification Church together
The movement was held together by unifying force of its 'messiah', who died on Monday
The death of Sun Myung Moon robs his Unification Church of the glue that sustained its global following as a cohesive religious and financial force even as membership dwindled from its 1980s peak, analysts say.
A messianic movement built on the rubble of the Korean war and exported to countries such as the United States, where it found favour with conservatives and disaffected ex-hippies, it now faces an uncertain future.
While it claims a worldwide following of three million, experts suggest the core membership is far smaller although it still carries a commercial clout that allows the church to punch way above its doctrinal weight.
The death of its charismatic founder on Monday at the age of 92 marks "an important turning point", according to Tark Ji-il, professor of theology at Busan Presbyterian University.
Without Moon's unifying presence, Tark sees potential for conflict between his sons - including current leader Hyung Jin Moon - who control the church's religious and business arms.
"The brothers have their own followers, and you can't rule out the possibility the church could end up divided depending on how they handle things," he said.
While the Western-coined "Moonie" moniker was a pejorative term intended to belittle, the fact remains that it was very much Moon's church.