Terms of Service

Welcome to NewThoughtHistory.org.

These Terms of Service govern your access to and use of NewThoughtHistory.org, including its articles, historical reference materials, images, research resources, tools, timelines, databases, and other content or features made available through the website.

By accessing or using NewThoughtHistory.org, you agree to these Terms.

If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use the website.

1. About NewThoughtHistory.org

NewThoughtHistory.org is an independent educational and historical reference project devoted to the history of the New Thought movement.

The website may document:

  • historical people;
  • religious and philosophical ideas;
  • organizations;
  • books and periodicals;
  • archival materials;
  • historical photographs;
  • primary sources;
  • religious testimony;
  • mental and spiritual healing traditions;
  • conferences and events;
  • related religious movements;
  • and the broader cultural history surrounding New Thought.

The website is intended primarily for historical, research, educational, and informational use.

2. Independent Project

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, NewThoughtHistory.org is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or operated by any church, denomination, religious association, publisher, archive, historical estate, or organization discussed on the website.

References to organizations such as Unity, Divine Science, Religious Science, Science of Mind, the International New Thought Alliance, or other organizations are made for historical, educational, and informational purposes.

Names, trademarks, logos, and other identifiers belonging to third parties remain the property of their respective owners where applicable.

3. Acceptance of These Terms

By accessing or using this website, you represent that you are legally capable of agreeing to these Terms.

Your continued use of NewThoughtHistory.org after changes to these Terms are published constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms to the extent permitted by applicable law.

4. Educational and Historical Purpose

Content on NewThoughtHistory.org is provided for general educational, historical, and informational purposes.

Nothing on the website should be interpreted as individualized:

  • medical advice;
  • mental-health advice;
  • legal advice;
  • financial advice;
  • religious counseling;
  • or other professional advice.

Historical material can describe beliefs and practices that do not reflect current scientific, medical, legal, or professional standards.

Consult an appropriately qualified professional when making decisions requiring professional advice.

5. Religious and Philosophical Content

NewThoughtHistory.org studies New Thought as a historical subject.

The website may explain beliefs concerning:

  • Divine Mind;
  • mental healing;
  • spiritual healing;
  • affirmative prayer;
  • affirmations;
  • consciousness;
  • prosperity;
  • metaphysical Christianity;
  • manifestation;
  • and other religious or philosophical concepts.

Documenting these teachings does not mean that NewThoughtHistory.org endorses or independently verifies them.

Users are responsible for reaching their own conclusions regarding religious, spiritual, and philosophical questions.

6. Historical Healing Claims

New Thought history contains numerous accounts in which people attributed changes in health to prayer, mental treatment, spiritual practices, changes in thought, or related experiences.

These accounts may be discussed because they are historically significant.

Their inclusion does not establish that a particular practice medically caused a reported recovery.

Historical testimony, religious interpretation, medical evidence, and scientific evidence are distinct categories and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Nothing on NewThoughtHistory.org should be used to diagnose or treat a medical condition, replace professional healthcare, discontinue medication, or delay obtaining appropriate medical attention.

Please also review our Disclaimer.

7. Historical Accuracy

NewThoughtHistory.org aims to provide accurate and well-sourced historical information.

However, historical research is inherently subject to limitations.

Sources may be:

  • incomplete;
  • contradictory;
  • incorrectly cataloged;
  • written long after an event;
  • influenced by institutional or personal perspectives;
  • or interpreted differently by qualified researchers.

Accordingly, we do not guarantee that every article is complete, error-free, or definitive.

Information may be corrected or revised when stronger evidence becomes available.

Our approach to research and corrections is explained further in our Research Standards, Sources & Citation Policy, and Corrections Policy.

8. Historical Sources

The website may quote, summarize, reproduce, or link to historical materials.

These can include:

  • books;
  • newspapers;
  • magazines;
  • letters;
  • manuscripts;
  • advertisements;
  • organizational records;
  • photographs;
  • conference proceedings;
  • archival descriptions;
  • and other primary sources.

The appearance of a statement in a historical source does not mean NewThoughtHistory.org independently confirms that statement as factual.

A source may be reproduced specifically because it demonstrates what a historical person or organization said, believed, published, or claimed.

9. Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise indicated, original content created specifically for NewThoughtHistory.org—including original articles, editorial organization, graphics, databases where protectable, and other original materials—is owned by or licensed to NewThoughtHistory.org and may be protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.

These Terms do not transfer ownership of NewThoughtHistory.org content to users.

You may access and use the website for lawful personal, educational, and research purposes subject to these Terms.

10. Facts and Historical Information

NewThoughtHistory.org does not claim ownership over historical facts themselves.

Facts such as:

  • dates;
  • names;
  • historical events;
  • bibliographic information;
  • and other factual information

may be researched and discussed by others.

However, original expression—including article text, original explanatory material, custom graphics, and other protectable creative content—may be protected by copyright.

Users wishing to publish information discovered through NewThoughtHistory.org are encouraged to consult and cite the underlying historical sources wherever possible.

11. Third-Party Historical Materials

Some content displayed on NewThoughtHistory.org may belong to third parties.

Examples include:

  • historical photographs;
  • archival reproductions;
  • modern photographs;
  • Creative Commons images;
  • book covers;
  • licensed material;
  • manuscript reproductions;
  • maps;
  • and museum or archive material.

The presence of third-party content on NewThoughtHistory.org does not mean that NewThoughtHistory.org owns that material or can grant permission for its reuse.

Users wishing to reproduce third-party material should consult the original source and applicable rights information.

See our Image Credits page for additional information.

12. Public Domain Materials

NewThoughtHistory.org may use material believed to be in the public domain.

Public-domain status can depend on factors including:

  • jurisdiction;
  • publication date;
  • authorship;
  • creator death date;
  • publication history;
  • and the particular edition or reproduction involved.

Users should independently determine whether a work is available for their intended use.

The presence of an item on this website is not a guarantee that it is public domain in every jurisdiction.

13. Creative Commons Material

Some material may be used under Creative Commons or similar open licenses.

Such material remains subject to the terms of its applicable license.

Attribution, share-alike requirements, restrictions on modification, or other conditions may apply depending on the license.

Users wishing to reuse such content should follow the license attached to the original material rather than assuming that these Terms govern third-party content.

14. Permitted Use

You may ordinarily:

  • read articles;
  • link to pages;
  • quote reasonable portions for commentary, criticism, scholarship, or research where legally permitted;
  • cite NewThoughtHistory.org;
  • use factual information for research;
  • and access publicly available tools and resources for their intended purposes.

Your use must comply with applicable law and these Terms.

15. Prohibited Use

You may not use NewThoughtHistory.org in a manner that:

  • violates applicable law;
  • attempts to gain unauthorized access to the website or its systems;
  • interferes with website security or availability;
  • distributes malware or malicious code;
  • impersonates NewThoughtHistory.org or another person or organization;
  • falsely suggests endorsement or affiliation;
  • removes copyright, attribution, or rights notices where legally relevant;
  • republishes substantial original site content as your own;
  • systematically copies the site in a manner that substitutes for the original service;
  • uses automated systems in a manner that materially disrupts the website;
  • or attempts to circumvent technical access restrictions.

16. Automated Access

Search engines and legitimate research tools may access publicly available portions of the website subject to applicable technical controls.

We reserve the right to restrict automated activity that:

  • imposes unreasonable server load;
  • attempts to circumvent security measures;
  • interferes with normal operation;
  • collects content in violation of applicable law;
  • or materially harms the website or its users.

Technical permissions provided through mechanisms such as robots directives do not necessarily grant intellectual-property rights beyond those provided by applicable law.

17. Linking to NewThoughtHistory.org

You may generally link to publicly accessible pages on NewThoughtHistory.org.

Links must not falsely imply:

  • sponsorship;
  • partnership;
  • endorsement;
  • official affiliation;
  • or approval.

We reserve the right to request removal of links presented in a misleading, unlawful, or deceptive context where permitted by applicable law.

18. User Submissions

NewThoughtHistory.org may allow readers to submit:

  • corrections;
  • historical information;
  • source recommendations;
  • photographs;
  • documents;
  • research notes;
  • contact messages;
  • or other material.

You remain responsible for material you submit.

You should not submit material that you do not have the legal right to provide.

19. Rights in Submitted Material

When you voluntarily submit material for potential publication or incorporation into NewThoughtHistory.org, you represent that you have the necessary rights to provide it.

Unless separately agreed otherwise, you grant NewThoughtHistory.org a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to review, reproduce, adapt for formatting, display, and publish submitted material to the extent reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was submitted.

This license does not transfer ownership of your original material to NewThoughtHistory.org.

If special restrictions apply to archival or privately held material, please disclose them when contacting us.

20. No Guarantee of Publication

Submitting material does not guarantee that it will be published.

NewThoughtHistory.org may:

  • verify the information;
  • request additional evidence;
  • edit submissions;
  • decline publication;
  • remove previously published submissions;
  • or independently research the subject.

Editorial decisions are made according to the project’s research and editorial standards.

21. Corrections Submitted by Readers

Readers may report factual errors.

A correction request should ideally identify:

  • the relevant page;
  • the disputed statement;
  • the proposed correction;
  • and supporting evidence.

Submission of a correction does not guarantee that the requested change will be made.

Corrections are evaluated according to evidence.

See our Corrections Policy for additional information.

22. External Websites

NewThoughtHistory.org may link to third-party websites and services.

Examples include:

  • libraries;
  • archives;
  • museums;
  • universities;
  • publishers;
  • government websites;
  • historical societies;
  • religious organizations;
  • digitized book collections;
  • and research databases.

These external websites are not controlled by NewThoughtHistory.org.

We are not responsible for their availability, accuracy, security, privacy practices, content, or policies.

A link does not necessarily constitute endorsement.

23. External Content May Change

Third-party resources may change after we link to them.

An organization may revise a page.

A library may change a catalog system.

A digital collection may move.

An external domain may expire or change ownership.

NewThoughtHistory.org cannot guarantee that external content will remain identical to what existed when an article was researched.

Where practical, broken or outdated research links may be updated.

NewThoughtHistory.org may in the future use affiliate links.

If a purchase made through a particular link may generate compensation for the website, the relationship should be disclosed where required and in a manner appropriate to the context.

Affiliate compensation should not determine historical conclusions or alter the evidentiary standards applied to an article.

A separate disclosure may be provided where appropriate.

25. Advertising and Sponsorship

NewThoughtHistory.org may display advertising or sponsored material.

Advertisements do not constitute historical endorsements.

Advertisers and sponsors do not receive the right to alter historical findings or dictate editorial conclusions merely because they financially support the website.

Sponsored material, if introduced, should be identified in a way that distinguishes it from independent editorial content.

26. AI-Assisted Tools and Content

NewThoughtHistory.org may use artificial intelligence and other digital tools to assist with:

  • research organization;
  • drafting;
  • editing;
  • classification;
  • metadata;
  • search;
  • timelines;
  • transcription review;
  • or other editorial and technical tasks.

AI-generated output is not treated as historical evidence.

Published historical claims should instead be evaluated against appropriate primary, archival, institutional, or scholarly sources.

No automated system is guaranteed to produce error-free results.

27. Interactive Tools

NewThoughtHistory.org may provide tools such as:

  • timelines;
  • historical explorers;
  • book indexes;
  • relationship maps;
  • search tools;
  • calculators;
  • databases;
  • or other interactive features.

These tools are provided for informational and research purposes.

Results may depend on incomplete historical datasets, editorial classifications, or technical processes and should not automatically be treated as definitive historical conclusions.

28. Availability of the Website

We may modify, suspend, reorganize, discontinue, restrict, or remove any part of NewThoughtHistory.org at any time.

We do not guarantee:

  • continuous availability;
  • uninterrupted operation;
  • permanent preservation of any particular URL;
  • compatibility with every device;
  • or continued availability of every feature.

Maintenance, technical failures, security incidents, or circumstances beyond our control may temporarily affect access.

29. No Warranties

To the extent permitted by applicable law, NewThoughtHistory.org and its content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

We make no warranty that:

  • all historical information is complete or error-free;
  • every external link will remain available;
  • every historical source is accurate;
  • the website will always operate without interruption;
  • or the content will be suitable for a particular purpose.

Nothing in this section excludes warranties or rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

30. Limitation of Liability

To the extent permitted by applicable law, NewThoughtHistory.org and its operators will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or similar damages arising from or related to the use of, inability to use, or reliance upon the website or third-party resources linked from it.

This includes reliance on historical, religious, medical, genealogical, copyright, or other information presented for educational purposes.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited.

31. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to be responsible for claims, losses, or expenses resulting from your unlawful use of the website, your violation of these Terms, or material you submit in violation of another person’s rights.

This provision applies only to the extent enforceable under applicable law.

32. Privacy

Your use of NewThoughtHistory.org may involve the collection or processing of limited information, such as information submitted through contact forms or technical information generated through website operation.

Such matters should be governed by a separate Privacy Policy.

These Terms should be read together with that policy when applicable.

If you believe material appearing on NewThoughtHistory.org infringes rights you own or represent, please contact us with enough information to identify:

  • the material concerned;
  • its location on the website;
  • the work you believe is protected;
  • your relationship to the rights holder;
  • and a method by which we can respond.

Requests may require additional information depending on applicable law.

Submitting knowingly false or misleading claims may have legal consequences.

34. Changes to These Terms

These Terms may be revised from time to time.

Changes may be made to reflect:

  • new website features;
  • legal requirements;
  • editorial developments;
  • changes in monetization;
  • new tools;
  • or changes in site operation.

The current version will be published on this page with an updated revision date where appropriate.

35. Severability

If a provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable under applicable law, the remaining provisions will continue to apply to the extent permitted by law.

36. No Waiver

Failure to enforce a provision of these Terms on one occasion does not necessarily waive the right to enforce that provision later.

37. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with applicable policies referenced within them, constitute the terms governing use of NewThoughtHistory.org unless a separate written agreement applies to a particular service or contribution.

Related policies may include:

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policy
  • Research Standards
  • Sources & Citation Policy
  • Corrections Policy
  • Image Credits

38. Governing Law

The governing law and jurisdiction applicable to these Terms should be determined according to the legal entity or individual operating NewThoughtHistory.org and the laws applicable to that operation.

Before launch, the site operator should replace this section with the appropriate governing-law and dispute-resolution provisions after determining the relevant jurisdiction.

NewThoughtHistory.org does not designate an arbitrary jurisdiction solely through this template.

39. Contact

Questions concerning these Terms, copyright matters, corrections, permissions, or other issues relating to NewThoughtHistory.org may be submitted through the Contact Us page.

When contacting us regarding a specific article, image, or historical source, please include the relevant page URL and enough information to identify the material concerned.

Using NewThoughtHistory.org Responsibly

NewThoughtHistory.org exists to make the history of New Thought easier to research and understand.

The website brings together historical evidence, primary sources, scholarship, organizational records, images, and editorial interpretation.

Users are welcome to explore that material, follow the sources, question interpretations, and conduct further research.

In return, we ask that users respect:

historical evidence, intellectual-property rights, source attribution, other users, and the lawful operation of the website.

These principles allow NewThoughtHistory.org to remain an open and useful historical reference while continuing to improve as additional evidence becomes available.