Nona Brooks: The Other Co-Founder of Divine Science

Introduction

Nona Lovell Brooks (1861–1945) stands as one of the most influential yet often overlooked architects of the New Thought movement. Described as a “prophet of modern mystical Christianity,” she co-founded the Church of Divine Science, a denomination that blended Christian theology with metaphysical healing practices. While Malinda Cramer is often credited with formally organizing Divine Science in San Francisco, Brooks was instrumental in its expansion and institutionalization, particularly through the Denver headquarters that became the movement’s center after Cramer’s death. This article explores Brooks’s life, her transformative healing, her key teachings, and her enduring legacy within New Thought history.

Historical Context

Brooks emerged during a period of profound religious ferment in late nineteenth-century America. The New Thought movement grew out of a confluence of Transcendentalism, Swedenborgianism, mesmerism, and the healing practices of Phineas Quimby. Quimby, a clockmaker from Maine, developed a system of mental healing in the 1850s, arguing that illness was rooted in erroneous beliefs and could be cured by correcting one’s mental state. His ideas influenced Mary Baker Eddy, who founded Christian Science, and Emma Curtis Hopkins, a former student of Eddy who broke away to teach a more metaphysical, less literal interpretation of Christianity. Hopkins’s independent students, including Kate Bingham, spread these teachings westward. By the 1880s, Colorado, particularly Pueblo and Denver, had become a fertile ground for these new spiritual ideas. It was in this milieu that Brooks, a young woman seeking relief from a chronic sore throat, encountered the teachings that would transform her life and the lives of countless others.

Main Narrative

Early Life

Nona Lovell Brooks was born on March 22, 1861, in Louisville, Kentucky, the youngest daughter of Chauncey and Lavinia Brooks. The family moved to Charleston, West Virginia, to escape the Civil War, where Nona attended the Charleston Female Academy. Her father’s salt-mining business collapsed, prompting another relocation to Pueblo, Colorado, where he entered metal mining. He died shortly after the move, when Nona was nineteen. Despite these hardships, she pursued education, enrolling at Pueblo Normal School in 1890 with the aim of becoming a teacher, followed by a year at Wellesley College.

Influences and Healing

Brooks grew up in a strongly religious Presbyterian home and as a child experienced an intense sensation of being engulfed by supernatural light. In Pueblo, she developed a persistent sore throat that resisted medical treatment. Her sister Alethea suggested she attend classes taught by Kate Bingham, an independent teacher of Christian Science who had been healed in Chicago by Mabel MacCoy, a student of Emma Curtis Hopkins. While sitting in Bingham’s class, Brooks was particularly struck by the discussion of the omnipresence of God. As she came to this fresh understanding, her sore throat was healed. This experience became the cornerstone of her spiritual awakening and lifelong commitment to divine healing.

Career and Founding of Divine Science

In 1887, encouraged by her sister Alethea, Brooks began studying metaphysics alongside her sisters Alethea and Fannie. They formed a study group in Pueblo, eventually teaching others. In 1888, Malinda Cramer and her husband Frank chartered the Home College of Divine Science in San Francisco, and the movement took shape. Brooks aligned with Cramer’s teachings, and after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and Cramer’s death, the movement’s headquarters shifted to Colorado. Brooks established the Church of Divine Science in Denver, which became the movement’s central institution. She served as its minister and leader for decades, writing books and articles, and lecturing widely.

Key Teachings

Brooks’s theology centered on the omnipresence of God—the belief that divine presence fills all creation and that healing comes from aligning one’s mind with this truth. She taught that disease is an illusion of the material senses and that spiritual realization brings physical healing. Her book The Divine Science Textbook (published in several editions) systematized these ideas, emphasizing prayer, meditation, and affirmative thinking. She also wrote Short Lessons in Divine Science and articles for periodicals such as Divine Science and Truth.

Organizations Founded

Brooks co-founded the Church of Divine Science with her sisters and Malinda Cramer. After Cramer’s death, she led the Denver church, which became the movement’s headquarters. She also helped establish the International New Thought Alliance, which united various New Thought groups under a common platform. Her organizational skills were crucial in giving Divine Science a stable institutional form.

Relationships with Other Figures

Brooks maintained close ties with her sisters Alethea Brooks Small and Fannie Brooks James, who were also healers and teachers. She corresponded with Malinda Cramer and respected her as a co-founder. She also knew Emma Curtis Hopkins indirectly through her teachers. Her influence extended to later New Thought leaders, including Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science, who drew on Divine Science teachings.

Timeline

• 1861 – Born in Louisville, Kentucky
• 1887 – Began studying metaphysics with her sisters
• 1888 – Malinda Cramer founded Home College of Divine Science
• 1890 – Enrolled at Pueblo Normal School
• 1890s – Healed her sore throat through metaphysical teaching
• 1906 – San Francisco earthquake; Cramer’s death
• 1910s–1920s – Established and led Denver Church of Divine Science
• 1945 – Died in Denver, Colorado

Why It Matters in New Thought History

Nona Brooks’s significance lies in her role as a bridge between the early healing experiments of the 1880s and the institutionalized New Thought movement of the twentieth century. While Malinda Cramer provided the original framework, Brooks ensured the movement’s survival and growth after Cramer’s death. Her emphasis on the omnipresence of God and practical healing made Divine Science accessible to a broad audience. She helped shape the International New Thought Alliance, which facilitated cooperation among diverse groups such as Unity, Religious Science, and Divine Science. Her writings and organizational leadership contributed to the movement’s intellectual and institutional maturity. For students of New Thought history, Brooks exemplifies the transformative power of personal healing and the importance of community-building in sustaining a spiritual movement.

Primary Sources

• The Divine Science Textbook – Nona L. Brooks, various editions (early 20th century). Systematic presentation of Divine Science teachings.
• Short Lessons in Divine Science – Nona L. Brooks, 1900s. A concise manual for students.
• The Early History of Divine Science – Nona L. Brooks, 1920s (as told in her own words). First-person account of the movement’s origins.
• Why I am a Divine Scientist – Nona L. Brooks, article, 1898. Personal testimony and theological rationale.
• Divine Science and Truth – periodical, 1898–1900s. Articles by Brooks and others.
• Representative Women of Colorado – 1914, includes a biographical sketch of Brooks.