The International Divine Science Association: The Forgotten Forerunner of the New Thought Movement

The International Divine Science Association (IDSA) stands as a pivotal yet often overlooked institution in the history of the New Thought movement. Founded on May 17, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Rev. Malinda E. Cramer, the IDSA was the first umbrella organization to unite the scattered practitioners of metaphysical healing and spiritual science that had emerged across the United States in the late nineteenth century. Its founding purpose, as stated in its charter, was “the promulgation of Divine Science, the God idea of perfect unity, harmony and wholeness, associated together in a unity of spirit, for the healing of nations, and the general good of humanity.” Over the course of the 1890s, the IDSA hosted New Thought Congresses that brought together the movement’s leading thinkers and healers, establishing a template for later organizations such as the International New Thought Alliance. This article explores the association’s origins, its key figures, its beliefs and institutions, and its lasting impact on the New Thought movement, drawing on primary sources and historical accounts to restore the IDSA to its rightful place in American religious history.

Historical Context

The emergence of the International Divine Science Association must be understood within the broader religious and intellectual ferment of late nineteenth-century America. This period witnessed a profound reaction against the rigid Calvinism of earlier generations, fueled by transcendentalist philosophy, the rise of liberal Christianity, and a growing fascination with the power of the mind to influence health and well-being. New England transcendentalism, particularly the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, emphasized the immanence of God in nature and the individual’s capacity for direct spiritual insight. Concurrently, the practice of mesmerism and the investigations of Franz Mesmer’s animal magnetism introduced ideas about subtle energies and the power of suggestion, which would later be incorporated into mental healing.

By the 1870s and 1880s, these currents coalesced into a distinct “mind-cure” or “mental science” movement. Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, a clockmaker and healer from Maine, developed a system of metaphysical healing based on the premise that illness was rooted in false beliefs and that correcting those beliefs through spiritual understanding could restore health. Quimby’s ideas profoundly influenced Mary Baker Eddy, who founded Christian Science, and also Emma Curtis Hopkins, a former student of Eddy who became a key teacher of New Thought. Hopkins, in turn, trained many future leaders, including Malinda Cramer and Nona Brooks. The broader cultural climate of optimism, self-improvement, and progressive reform—often called the “New Thought” itself—provided a fertile ground for organizations that promised spiritual healing and practical metaphysics. It was in this milieu that Cramer, after her own transformative healing, began to articulate what she called Divine Science, and eventually founded the IDSA to unify the movement’s various strands.

Main Narrative

Origins: Malinda Cramer and the Healing Experience

Malinda E. Cramer was born in 1844 and spent much of her early life in poor health, seeking help from numerous doctors and treatments. In 1870, on the advice of her physician, she moved to San Francisco in hopes that the climate would improve her condition. Despite the change, her health continued to decline. Raised as a Quaker, Cramer maintained a practice of regular meditation and prayer. In her own words, “It was early one morning in the year 1885, during an hour of earnest meditation and prayerful seeking, that I asked the following question in faith, believing that they would be answered, with a willingness to abide the decision, whatever it might…” This moment of intense spiritual seeking culminated in what she described as an extraordinary experience of light, which brought about a complete healing. This transformative event convinced her of the fundamental truth of divine unity and the power of recognizing one’s inherent perfection in God.

Following this revelation, Cramer began to develop the principles of Divine Science, which she formally taught beginning in 1888 through the Home College of Divine Science in San Francisco. The college served educational, ethical, and religious purposes, focusing on the “Christ method of healing.” Cramer’s teachings emphasized that God is the one presence and power manifesting in all creation, and that healing comes through the recognition of divine perfection in mind and body. This was a practical application of metaphysical truths drawn from Christian teachings and broader spiritual traditions.

Founders and Early Collaborators

While Malinda Cramer was the primary founder of the IDSA, the Divine Science movement itself had two independent roots that later combined. The first root was Cramer’s work in San Francisco, beginning in 1885. The second root began in 1887 in Pueblo, Colorado, with Nona L. Brooks, Fannie James, and Alethea Small. These women, who had also experienced healing through mental and spiritual means, developed a similar understanding of Divine Science. The IDSA, however, was explicitly founded by Cramer alone, and it served as a loose coalition of Divine Science leaders and centers across the United States. The association was not a centralized authority but rather a unifying network that facilitated communication and cooperation among independent practitioners and study groups.

Beliefs and Practices

The core belief of the IDSA was the absolute unity of God as the only presence and power. This monistic view rejected the duality of good and evil, matter and spirit, and instead affirmed that all reality is a manifestation of the divine mind. Healing, therefore, was not a matter of manipulating external forces but of aligning one’s consciousness with this underlying truth. Practitioners used affirmations, silent prayer, and meditation to realize their inherent wholeness. The IDSA’s charter explicitly tied these beliefs to a broad humanitarian purpose: “the healing of nations, and the general good of humanity.” This social dimension distinguished the association from purely individualistic healing movements, aligning it with the progressive reform ethos of the era.

Institutions and Publications

The Home College of Divine Science, established in 1888, served as the educational arm of Cramer’s work. It offered courses, lectures, and training for healers. The IDSA itself functioned as an institutional umbrella, connecting these local centers and promoting the movement through annual congresses. Although specific publications of the IDSA are not well documented, Cramer and her associates produced pamphlets and articles that circulated within the movement. Horatio Dresser, a contemporary historian and participant, later wrote extensively about the association in his A History of the New Thought Movement (1919), which remains a key primary source for understanding its activities.

Major Events: The New Thought Congresses

The most significant events sponsored by the IDSA were its New Thought Congresses, held throughout the 1890s. These gatherings brought together healers, ministers, and writers from across the country, including figures such as Emma Curtis Hopkins and others who would later lead Unity and Religious Science. The congresses provided a platform for sharing ideas, demonstrating healing methods, and building a sense of collective identity. They also attracted public attention, helping to legitimize the New Thought movement in the eyes of a broader audience. The success of these congresses inspired the creation of subsequent umbrella organizations, most notably the International New Thought Alliance, which was established in the early twentieth century and continues to exist today.

Changes Over Time and Decline

The IDSA remained a loose coalition rather than a centralized institution. As the New Thought movement expanded and diversified, tensions arose over doctrinal differences and leadership. After Cramer’s death in 1906, the association gradually lost momentum. The rise of other organizations, such as the International New Thought Alliance, which provided a more formal structure, overshadowed the IDSA. Nevertheless, the Divine Science churches that trace their lineage to Cramer and Brooks continued to thrive, and the principles of Divine Science became integrated into the broader New Thought canon. The IDSA’s role as a pioneering unifier was largely forgotten, but its legacy persisted in the organizational structures and ecumenical spirit of later New Thought bodies.

Why It Matters in New Thought History

The International Divine Science Association occupies a foundational place in New Thought history for several reasons. First, it was the first successful attempt to create a national (and nominally international) network of New Thought practitioners and centers. Prior to the IDSA, the movement was fragmented into isolated groups and individual healers. The association’s congresses and publications created a sense of shared purpose and identity, which was essential for the movement’s growth and institutionalization. Second, the IDSA’s emphasis on unity and harmony—both in theology and in organizational practice—established a model for later alliances. The International New Thought Alliance, founded in 1914, explicitly drew on this precedent, adopting a similarly inclusive approach to allow diverse metaphysical groups to cooperate while maintaining their distinct teachings.

Third, the IDSA helped to codify and disseminate the core beliefs of Divine Science, which influenced other New Thought denominations. For example, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, founders of Unity, were exposed to Divine Science ideas and incorporated them into their own teachings. Ernest Holmes, who developed Religious Science (now Centers for Spiritual Living), also acknowledged the influence of Divine Science. Thus, the IDSA served as a conduit for ideas that would shape the entire New Thought family. Finally, the association’s history highlights the central role of women in the movement. Malinda Cramer, Nona Brooks, and other female leaders were pioneers in a male-dominated society, and their success in founding and leading religious organizations was remarkable. The IDSA’s story is therefore integral to understanding the gender dynamics and leadership patterns of the New Thought movement.

For students of New Thought history, the IDSA is not merely a footnote but a crucial link between the early mental-healing experiments of Quimby and the institutionalized forms of the twentieth century. It demonstrates how a charismatic founder’s personal healing experience could be transformed into a broad social movement, and how organizational structures can both enable and constrain religious innovation. The association’s rise and fall offer lessons about the challenges of maintaining unity in a movement that values individual spiritual authority—a tension that continues to shape New Thought and other metaphysical traditions today.

Primary Sources

• Malinda Cramer’s personal testimony (1885) – Recorded in her writings and later quoted in church histories, this account of her healing experience forms the basis of Divine Science theology.
• Horatio Dresser, A History of the New Thought Movement (New York: T.Y. Crowell, 1919) – A first-hand account by a participant and historian, containing detailed information about the IDSA’s founding, congresses, and significance.
• Home College of Divine Science course materials (1888 onward) – Lecture notes and lesson plans that illustrate the practical teaching of Divine Science.
• Proceedings and records of the International Divine Science Association (1890s) – Surviving organizational documents, if any, would provide direct evidence of the association’s activities.
• The Westminster Handbook to Women in American Religious History (2008) – Includes a biographical entry on Malinda Cramer, offering scholarly context.