People, Ideas, and Movements That Shaped New Thought
Unity Magazine, founded in 1889 as Modern Thought, became the longest-lived New Thought periodical and the flagship publication of the Unity movement. This article traces its evolution, content, influence, and lasting legacy in American religious history.
Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, healed through New Thought principles, founded Unity, the largest Christian movement in the tradition. Their journey from students of Emma Curtis Hopkins to leaders of a global prayer ministry transformed American spirituality.
This article explores how New Thought periodicals, particularly The Nautilus and Unity, served as vital conduits for the movement’s ideas, connecting readers across the United States and shaping the evolution of metaphysical spirituality from the 1890s onward.
Silent Unity, founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1889, evolved from a small prayer group into a global 24/7 prayer ministry that has become a cornerstone of the New Thought movement. This article traces its origins, practices, and enduring influence.
Explore how the New Thought movement harnessed the power of print—from early pamphlets to mass-market magazines—to transform a disparate collection of metaphysical healers into a global spiritual force, shaping modern self-help culture.
This article explores the pivotal roles of women who organized the early New Thought conventions, from the formation of the International New Thought Alliance to the 1915 San Francisco Congress, highlighting figures like Ursula Gestefeld and Annie Rix Militz.
This article examines how early 20th-century dictionaries and encyclopedias defined the New Thought movement, revealing its core principles, its relationship to Christian Science and mental healing, and its place in American religious history.
This article traces the New Thought movement’s evolution from 19th-century mind cure to its profound influence on 20th-century New Age spirituality, examining key figures, institutions, and publications that shaped a lasting legacy.
William Walker Atkinson, a prolific New Thought author and pseudonymous writer, profoundly shaped modern Reiki and prosperity teaching through his works on mental science, yoga, and the law of attraction. His books, written under names like Yogi Ramacharaka and Theron Q. Dumont, introduced Eastern concepts to Western audiences and codified the metaphysical principles behind contemporary success literature.
The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel is a cornerstone of New Thought literature, often mistakenly attributed to William Walker Atkinson. This article clarifies the relationship between Haanel’s influential course and Atkinson’s own ‘Master Mind,’ situating both within the broader New Thought movement.