When Did the Term ‘New Thought’ Begin to Be Used?

Introduction

The phrase “New Thought” has come to designate one of the most influential yet diffuse religious and philosophical movements in American history. While its roots reach back to the mid-19th century, the term itself did not appear overnight. It evolved through decades of organizational experimentation, theological debate, and cultural adaptation. Understanding when and how “New Thought” entered common usage reveals not only the movement’s internal dynamics but also its relationship to broader currents in American religion, science, and self-help culture. This article traces the chronological emergence of the term, from the early “mental science” era through the consolidation of the movement in the 1890s and beyond, drawing on primary sources including Horatio Dresser’s classic history and contemporary accounts.

Historical Context

The New Thought movement arose in the United States during a period of profound religious and intellectual ferment. The 1830s and 1840s saw the rise of Transcendentalism, with its emphasis on intuitive spiritual knowledge and the inherent goodness of humanity. Simultaneously, mesmerism and other forms of “magnetic healing” gained popularity, suggesting that the mind could influence physical health. It was in this milieu that Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (1802–1866) developed his system of mental healing, which he taught to patients and students in Portland, Maine. Quimby’s approach rejected the Calvinist emphasis on sin and punishment, instead positing that disease and suffering were the result of erroneous beliefs that could be corrected by aligning with a higher, divine intelligence (EBSCO, 2023). After Quimby’s death, his ideas spread through the work of his students, including Warren Felt Evans, Julius Dresser, and Mary Baker Eddy, who would later found Christian Science. By the 1870s and 1880s, a loose network of healers and writers had emerged, often using the label “Mental Science” to describe their practices. These early groups were fragmented, with no unified name or organization. The term “New Thought” arose in this context as a way to distinguish the broader movement from its most famous offshoot, Christian Science, and to signal a fresh, forward-looking approach to spirituality and healing.

Main Narrative: The Emergence of the Term

The exact moment when “New Thought” was first used as a formal designation is difficult to pinpoint, but evidence points to the 1880s and 1890s. Horatio Dresser, a historian and participant in the movement, wrote in his History of New Thought that the early period was characterized by “mental science” and that the term “New Thought” gradually came into vogue as the movement expanded (Dresser, n.d.). A 1916 article in The Biblical World observed that “during the past twenty-five years there has sprung up in our midst a new and important religious movement,” and that it had been known by many names, including “Christian Science,” “Mental Science,” and eventually “New Thought” (Talbot, 1916). This suggests that by the 1890s the term was already in use.

Early Usage and Key Figures

One of the earliest documented uses of “New Thought” appears in the writings of Emma Curtis Hopkins (1849–1925), a former student of Mary Baker Eddy who broke away to teach her own version of mental healing. In the late 1880s, Hopkins founded the Christian Science Theological Seminary in Chicago, but she soon distanced herself from Eddy’s authoritarian control and began using the term “New Thought” to describe a more inclusive, non-sectarian approach. Hopkins’s influence was immense; she trained a generation of leaders who would go on to found major New Thought denominations, including Charles and Myrtle Fillmore (Unity), Nona Brooks (Divine Science), and Ernest Holmes (Religious Science). Her periodical, The Christian Science Journal (which she edited for a time), and later her own publication Hopkins’ Magazine, helped disseminate the new label.

The 1890s: Consolidation and Naming

By the early 1890s, the term “New Thought” was appearing in print with increasing frequency. Ralph Waldo Trine’s In Tune with the Infinite (1897) became a bestseller and popularized many New Thought ideas, though Trine himself preferred the term “New Thought” to describe the movement. The founding of the New Thought magazine in 1890 (sometimes cited as the first periodical to use the name) helped standardize the label. In 1899, the first New Thought convention was held in Boston, bringing together various groups that had previously operated independently. This gathering, organized by leaders such as Horatio Dresser and Henry Wood, marked a turning point in the movement’s self-identification. The convention adopted the name “New Thought” as a unifying banner, explicitly rejecting the narrower “Mental Science” and distinguishing itself from Christian Science.

Organizational Development

The formation of the International New Thought Alliance (INTA) in 1914 further cemented the term. INTA’s constitution declared its purpose to be “to spread the teachings of New Thought” and to unite the various branches. The alliance’s annual conventions and its journal, New Thought, helped solidify the name across the movement. By the early 20th century, “New Thought” had become the standard designation, even as individual denominations like Unity and Religious Science preferred their own names. The term was embraced because it conveyed a sense of modernity, progress, and intellectual freedom—qualities that appealed to a movement that rejected rigid doctrine in favor of personal experience and practical healing.

Why It Matters in New Thought History

The adoption of the term “New Thought” was not merely a semantic convenience; it represented a critical shift in the movement’s identity. Before the 1890s, the movement was fragmented, with practitioners often calling themselves “Mental Scientists” or “Christian Scientists” (though Eddy’s group later claimed exclusive rights to the latter). The name “New Thought” allowed diverse groups to unite under a common banner while preserving their individual teachings. It also signaled a broader philosophical stance: the belief that human thoughts directly shape reality, and that aligning with divine intelligence can bring health, prosperity, and happiness. This idea, central to all New Thought groups, was given a name that could be shared across denominational lines. The term also helped the movement appeal to a modern, scientifically-minded audience, positioning itself as a “scientific” approach to religion—a claim that distinguished it from traditional Christianity.

For students of New Thought history, understanding when the term began is essential because it marks the moment when the movement became self-aware. It is the point at which a loose collection of healers and writers coalesced into a recognizable religious force, one that would go on to influence the New Age movement, the human potential movement, and contemporary self-help culture. The term’s evolution also illustrates the broader pattern of how religious movements name themselves, often through a process of negotiation, conflict, and compromise.

The Term ‘New Thought’: A Concept Analysis

Definition

New Thought is a mind-healing movement based on the belief that thoughts influence material reality. It holds that disease, poverty, and unhappiness stem from incorrect thinking, and that by aligning one’s thoughts with the divine, individuals can achieve healing and transformation (Britannica, n.d.). The term encompasses a wide range of groups and teachers who share these core principles but differ in ritual, organization, and specific theology.

Origins

The intellectual roots of New Thought lie in the teachings of Phineas Quimby, who developed his system in the 1850s. Quimby’s ideas were popularized by his students, and by the 1880s a movement known as “Mental Science” had emerged. The specific phrase “New Thought” appears to have been coined in the late 1880s or early 1890s, perhaps by Emma Curtis Hopkins or other leaders seeking a broader, more inclusive name (Dresser, n.d.).

Who Popularized It

Key figures in popularizing the term include Emma Curtis Hopkins, who used it in her teachings and publications; Ralph Waldo Trine, whose books reached a mass audience; and organizers of the first New Thought conventions, such as Horatio Dresser and Henry Wood. The founding of the International New Thought Alliance in 1914 institutionalized the term.

How Different New Thought Groups Understood It

Unity, founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1889, embraced the term but emphasized practical Christianity. Divine Science, founded by Nona Brooks and Malinda Cramer, used it to describe a system of healing based on the omnipresence of God. Religious Science, founded by Ernest Holmes in 1927, adopted a more philosophical approach, calling itself a “science of mind.” Despite these differences, all recognized the term “New Thought” as a unifying label.

Historical Development

The term evolved from a descriptive phrase to a formal designation. In the 1890s, periodicals and conventions used it to distinguish the movement from Christian Science. By the early 20th century, it was the standard name in academic and popular discourse, as evidenced by Talbot’s 1916 article. The term’s flexibility allowed it to survive the movement’s internal schisms and continue into the present day.

Related Concepts

New Thought is closely related to Mental Science, Christian Science (though they diverged), and later movements like the New Age and human potential movements. It also draws on Transcendentalism, Swedenborgianism, and idealist philosophy.

Modern Legacy

Today, “New Thought” remains the umbrella term for organizations like Unity, Religious Science, and Divine Science, as well as independent teachers. Its influence is visible in countless self-help books, positive thinking courses, and prosperity gospel teachings. The term has become part of the American religious vocabulary, even for those who do not belong to any New Thought church.

Primary Sources

• History of New Thought by Horatio Dresser (n.d.). A comprehensive early history from a participant-scholar, available at NewThoughtLibrary.com. It details the movement’s development and the adoption of the term.
• “The ‘New’ American Religion” by Edith A. Talbot (1916), published in The Biblical World. A contemporary account that notes the movement’s recent emergence and its various names.
• Emma Curtis Hopkins’s writings and magazines (1880s–1890s). Hopkins’s publications, including Hopkins’ Magazine, are crucial for tracing early usage of the term.
• Proceedings of the first New Thought convention (1899, Boston). These records show the formal adoption of the name by a gathered body.
• International New Thought Alliance constitution and reports (1914 onward). These documents institutionalized the term.