People, Ideas, and Movements That Shaped New Thought
Explore the origins, teachings, and lasting influence of Religious Science, the New Thought movement founded by Ernest Holmes in 1926 with his seminal work The Science of Mind. Trace its evolution from a philosophical system to an institutionalized denomination and its impact on modern self-help culture.
Explore how the New Thought movement of the 19th century—with its emphasis on mental healing, idealism, and personal transformation—became a foundational influence on the New Age movement of the late 20th century, shaping its practices, institutions, and worldview.
After Ernest Holmes’s death in 1960, the Religious Science movement split into two major organizations—the United Church of Religious Science and Religious Science International—before reuniting in 2011 as Centers for Spiritual Living. This article traces that evolution, examining the institutional growth, internal tensions, and eventual merger that shaped the movement’s modern identity.
This article traces the New Thought movement’s rise in 19th-century America, its key figures and institutions, and its profound impact on the psychology of religion—from William James’s ‘healthy-mindedness’ to its lasting influence on modern self-help culture.
Explore how the New Thought movement, born in the 1830s, evolved through mind cure, divine healing, and mental science into the modern New Age spirituality of the 20th century, shaping today’s self-help and holistic wellness culture.
Explore how the 19th-century New Thought movement, with its emphasis on mental healing, evolved into modern mind-body medicine. This article traces the key figures, institutions, and ideas that shaped a lasting medical legacy.
This article traces the transatlantic journey of New Thought from its American metaphysical roots to its establishment in Europe, examining the roles of key figures, publications, and organizations such as the International New Thought Alliance and Christian Science.
Explore how gratitude evolved from a mere affirmation into a core spiritual practice within the New Thought movement, shaping its teachings and influencing modern self-help culture.
This article examines how William Walker Atkinson, through his editorial work and prolific writing, used the principle of suggestion to promote New Thought. As editor of New Thought magazine and author of over 100 books, he shaped the movement’s ideas and helped spread them to a wide audience, leaving a lasting legacy in modern self-help culture.
Malinda Cramer’s Home College of Divine Science, founded in San Francisco in 1888, was a pioneering institution that systematized New Thought teachings and helped launch the Divine Science movement, leaving a lasting imprint on American metaphysical religion.