People, Ideas, and Movements That Shaped New Thought
Chronological development and evolution of the New Thought movement.
An examination of the foundational texts—from Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health to Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s The Heart of the New Thought—that defined the New Thought movement’s spiritual philosophy, distinguished it from scientific claims, and influenced modern self-help culture.
Religious Science, also known as Science of Mind, is a New Thought spiritual movement founded by Ernest Holmes in the 1920s. It emphasizes the power of the mind to shape reality and achieve healing, blending metaphysical principles with religious teachings. The movement has grown into a global network of centers and churches, influencing modern self-help culture.
Divine Science is a New Thought religious movement formalized in the 1880s by Malinda Cramer and Nona Brooks, emphasizing the omnipresence of God and the power of affirmative prayer. This article traces its origins, key figures, doctrinal evolution, and lasting influence on modern metaphysical spirituality.
Unity is a New Thought spiritual movement founded in 1889 by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in Kansas City, Missouri, emphasizing prayer, mind-over-body healing, and practical Christianity. Rooted in the teachings of Emma Curtis Hopkins and Ralph Waldo Emerson, it grew from a prayer group into an international organization with Silent Unity, publications, and educational programs.
The New Thought movement, a late 19th-century spiritual and metaphysical movement, was largely led by and for women. This article explores how women shaped its teachings, institutions, and legacy, and how it intersected with feminism and ideas of sexual purity.
Emma Curtis Hopkins (1849–1925) was an American spiritual teacher and founder of the New Thought movement. Known as the ‘teacher of teachers,’ she ordained and mentored many leaders who established major metaphysical denominations, including Unity Church and the Church of Religious Science.
New Thought is a 19th-century American metaphysical movement emphasizing the power of the mind to heal and shape reality. Its origins trace to transcendentalist ideas, Phineas Quimby’s mental healing, and the organizational leadership of Emma Curtis Hopkins, with lasting influence on modern self-help culture.
This article traces the profound yet often overlooked influence of Emanuel Swedenborg on the New Thought movement, from his mystical visions and Enlightenment-era theology to his impact on Transcendentalists, Warren Felt Evans, and the movement’s core teachings on consciousness and healing.
Explore the intellectual and spiritual lineage connecting Transcendentalism and New Thought, from Emerson’s idealism to Quimby’s healing methods, shaping a metaphysical religious movement.
Explore the 19th-century metaphysical movement that birthed the Law of Attraction, from Phineas Quimby’s healing methods to the institutionalization of New Thought and its enduring influence on modern self-help culture.
