How New Thought Spread Across the United States

Introduction

The New Thought movement, which William James famously called “the religion of healthy-mindedness,” emerged in the 1830s and grew into one of the most influential spiritual currents in American history. Rooted in metaphysical beliefs and a conviction in the power of mind over matter, New Thought spread from small circles of healers and philosophers to a nationwide network of churches, periodicals, and training centers. This article traces that expansion, focusing on the people, organizations, publications, and ideas that carried New Thought from its intellectual origins to its institutional maturity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Historical Context

The rise of New Thought must be understood against the backdrop of nineteenth-century America, a period of intense religious ferment and intellectual experimentation. The transcendentalist movement, led by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, emphasized individual intuition and the immanence of the divine in nature, challenging orthodox Calvinism and institutional religion. At the same time, the popularity of mesmerism and animal magnetism introduced Americans to the idea that unseen mental forces could influence health and consciousness. These currents converged with Swedenborgianism, which posited a correspondence between spiritual and material realms, and with the broader Romantic interest in universal science and the power of the mind.

Into this fertile soil came Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, a clockmaker and mesmerist from Maine who developed a system of mental healing in the 1840s and 1850s. Quimby argued that disease was fundamentally a product of erroneous beliefs and that correcting those beliefs could restore health. His ideas directly influenced Mary Baker Eddy, who founded Christian Science, and many other early New Thought practitioners. The movement also drew heavily on the teachings of Emma Curtis Hopkins, a former Christian Scientist who became the “teacher of teachers” for a generation of New Thought leaders. By the 1880s, New Thought had begun to coalesce into a distinct movement, with its own periodicals, healing homes, and training institutes.

Main Narrative

Origins and Founders

The New Thought movement’s origins are typically traced to the 1830s, when a group of American and English thinkers began exploring metaphysical ideas that challenged mainstream Christianity (Source 1). Early leaders shared a Romantic interest in the relationship between universal science and American Christianity, drawing on John Locke’s definition of ideas and the transcendentalist belief that ideal spirituality “transcends” the physical and is realized only through individual intuition (Source 1). Phineas Quimby, often considered the movement’s founder, developed a practice of mental healing in Portland, Maine, in the 1850s. He taught that illness was caused by false beliefs and that a correct understanding of God and the self could bring about healing. Quimby’s patients included Mary Baker Eddy, who later founded Christian Science, and Warren Felt Evans, who became one of the first New Thought authors.

Beliefs and Early Institutions

New Thought’s core belief was the power of mind over matter—that mental states directly influence physical health and material circumstances. This principle, often expressed as “thought is creative,” was accompanied by a rejection of the Calvinist doctrine of predestination and an affirmation of human free will and spiritual potential. The movement was led largely by and for women, who found in New Thought a space to exercise spiritual authority and to advocate for social reform (Source 2). Mary Baker Eddy’s Christian Science was one of the most prominent expressions, but many other groups emerged, including Divine Science and Unity.

Key institutional developments came in the 1880s and 1890s. Emma Curtis Hopkins, who had been a student of Eddy, established the Emma Hopkins College of Christian Science in Chicago in 1886. Hopkins trained dozens of students who went on to found their own movements. Among them were Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, who founded Unity in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1889; Nona Brooks and Malinda Cramer, who co-founded Divine Science in Denver and San Francisco in the 1890s; and Ernest Holmes, who later established Religious Science in Los Angeles in the 1920s. These leaders created periodicals to spread their teachings: Unity Magazine (later Daily Word) began in 1889, and Science of Mind magazine followed in 1927. William Walker Atkinson and Ralph Waldo Trine wrote popular books that brought New Thought ideas to a mass audience.

Major Events and the 1893 Turning Point

The year 1893 was a critical turning point for New Thought, as it was for American religion more broadly. The World’s Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago as part of the Columbian Exposition, brought together representatives of Eastern and Western faiths, and New Thought leaders participated in the growing interest in alternative spirituality (Source 3). That same year, the movement achieved a new degree of structure and organization, and it was around this time that the name “New Thought” came into common use (Source 3). In 1894, the first national New Thought convention was held, and by 1914 the International New Thought Alliance (INTA) was founded to coordinate the various groups. INTA continues to exist today, representing a diverse array of New Thought churches and organizations.

Branches and Changes Over Time

New Thought branched into several distinct denominations and movements. Divine Science, founded by Malinda Cramer and Nona Brooks, emphasized the immanence of God and the healing power of affirmative prayer. Unity, founded by the Fillmores, became the largest New Thought organization, with a strong emphasis on practical Christianity and daily devotional practices. Religious Science, founded by Ernest Holmes, synthesized New Thought with a more systematic philosophical framework, and its Science of Mind textbook became a foundational text. The movement also influenced the human potential movement of the mid-twentieth century, as well as the broader self-help culture. Over time, New Thought groups adapted to changing social conditions, incorporating elements of positive thinking, prosperity consciousness, and mindfulness.

Present-Day Organizations

Today, New Thought continues through several major organizations. The International New Thought Alliance (INTA) serves as an umbrella body for many groups, including Divine Science, Unity, and Religious Science (now known as Centers for Spiritual Living). The Unity Church, with its worldwide network of congregations, remains a prominent presence. The Centers for Spiritual Living, founded by Ernest Holmes, are active across the United States and internationally. These organizations maintain publications, offer training programs, and engage in social outreach, demonstrating the enduring appeal of New Thought’s core message: that the mind is a powerful agent of healing and transformation.

Why It Matters in New Thought History

The spread of New Thought across the United States is central to understanding the movement’s significance. It transformed a loose collection of metaphysical healers into a structured, nationwide spiritual movement with lasting institutions. New Thought’s emphasis on mind over matter and the power of positive thinking anticipated the modern self-help industry and influenced many later developments in American religion, including the New Age movement and the prosperity gospel. Its leaders, many of them women, broke new ground in spiritual leadership and social reform. As historian Beryl Satter has shown, New Thought was embedded in the intellectual traditions of nineteenth-century America and had profound cultural implications (Source 2). The movement’s legacy is visible in the millions of Americans who practice affirmative prayer, attend Unity churches, or read books by Ralph Waldo Trine and Ernest Holmes.

Primary Sources

• The Christian Science Journal (1883–present) — Founded by Mary Baker Eddy, this periodical documented the early split between Christian Science and New Thought and remains a key source for understanding the movement’s origins.
• Unity Magazine (1889–present) — Charles and Myrtle Fillmore’s periodical, later known as Daily Word, spread New Thought teachings to a broad audience and remains in publication.
• Science of Mind Magazine (1927–present) — Ernest Holmes’s publication, which continues to offer articles and lessons on New Thought principles.
• The Nautilus (1898–1939) — A New Thought magazine edited by Elizabeth Towne, which featured works by William Walker Atkinson and other prominent writers.
• Emma Curtis Hopkins’s writings and lesson materials — Hopkins’s unpublished and published works are held in the collections of the Unity School of Christianity and other archives.