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Spirits in Rebellion: The Rise and Development of New Thought
Spirits in The Rise and Development of New Thought
584 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
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April 8, 2026
A FINE HISTORICAL SURVEY OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE, RELIGIOUS SCIENCE, UNITY, ETC.
Charles Samuel Braden (1887-1970) was Chair of the Department of History and Literature of Religion at Northwestern University for many years; he was awarded ‘emeritus’ status in 1954.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1963 book, “Writing about the rise and development of any of the minority religious groups is not an easy task. Concerning their basic ideas and practices there is not so much difficulty, but when one seeks to go back and discover their beginnings and the stages through which they have evolved, it is another story. In general the libraries have paid little attention to them… Nor in general, have the various movements themselves been history-conscious. The Mormons are a notable exception, and Unity has also developed something in the nature of a small research library, dealing chiefly with Unity itself, but to some extent also with other related movements…
“For years the writer has sought to interest some seminary library in specializing in this field … At the same time he has urged some of the minority groups to make a definite effort to preserve materials which are of historic interest, if not today, then certainly tomorrow: for the story of these groups is genuine religious Americana---most of them were born on American soil of the American mind and spirit at some level…
“It is his sincere hope that this study of a great movement will be a welcome help to followers of one or another of the various branches of the movement in seeing themselves as a part of a movement greater than their own particular branch of it. And to those who stand outside the movement, may it serve as an aid to the understanding of a vital phase of religion that while differing from the usual orthodox expressions in many ways, nevertheless represent essential insights and practices which, once present in historic Christianity, have largely fallen into disuse.”
He states in Chapter 1, “Few terms can be defined adequately in only a few words of sentences, because they mean something different to different people at different times… Such a term is ‘New Thought,’ one loosely used to cover a wide range of philosophical, theological, psychological, and practical approaches to God, to the world, to life and its problems, that had its development within the last hundred years, chiefly in America, though under one name or another it has extended itself over much of the Western world.” (Pg. 9)
He reports, “Charles Brodie Patterson, one of the truly great leaders of New Thought, suggests that ‘the truth regarding life and its laws is to be found in man’s inner consciousness rather than in the study of phenomena… Man’s real search is the discovery of his own soul, for there God lives and moves and breathes, even though man may be unconscious of it.” (Pg. 11)
A publication of the Boston Metaphysical Club reported asking a former member of Christian Science what he thought of as the difference between New Thought and Christian Science, and was told there were three differences: “(1) The authoritarianism which has grown out of Christian Scientists’ conviction that Mrs. Eddy’s teachings constitute a final revelation has been no part of New Thought and its outlook… (2) Negativism has always dominated and still does dominate the Christian Science movement… (3) Christian Science is utterly opposed to ‘materia medica’ [i.e., substances used in medical remedies, such as drugs].” (Pg. 18-19)
Braden states of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (1802-1866) that ‘leaving healing on an apparently purely mental level… was Quimby’s great contribution. If he did not originate the notion of the interdependence of body and mind in matters of health, he was certainly the pioneer in America of the theory of the mental basis of all disease, and so the founder of New Thought.” (Pg. 68)
Braden reports that in his last book, Warren Felt Evans (1817-1889) “declares that it is quite unnecessary to deny the personality and persistent individuality of the human spirit… To the evidence of the senses, the individual human being disappears at what men call death… Evans does not furnish any blueprint as to what happens after this present life span… he never pronounces either for or against … a belief in reincarnation. His primary concern seems to be with the discovery in this present existence of the true nature of the real man, which seems to him to be the clue to a life of health, happiness, and peace.” (Pg. 112) Later, he adds, “Organizationally, of course, his influence was not felt. Evans was clearly not an organization man.” (Pg. 127)
Braden suggests that “in a sense New Thought owes its development in the first place, in part at least, to the feeling of loyalty of the Dressers [Julius A. Dresser and his wife Annetta] to P.P. Quimby. They thought he was being betrayed by Mrs. Eddy in her denial of any dependence upon him, and were convinced that Mrs. Eddy and those who accepted her as revelator of the Truth and as the Founder and organizer of what she was calling ‘Christian Science,’ were misrepresenting what he had taught and practiced.” (Pg. 137-138)
He notes, “Another very great New Thought leader, William Walker Atkinson (1862-1932), declared that New Thought had no fixed principles, settled rules, governing laws, or formal creeds. It took its own wherever it found it, adding to the list every day while at the same time discarding what it had outgrown. New Thought, he said, based itself upon an Infinite Presence-Power, which being infinite eluded definition.” (Pg. 191-193)
New Thought in general was opposed to 19th century Spiritualism (mediums, seances, etc.), but it does show some ‘interest in phenomena which have enlisted the scientific concern of universities such as Duke and others that have established departments of parapsychology dedicated to research in the field of supersensory experience. Already there had appeared within the orthodox churches organizations which represented at least an open mind in their willingness to risk serious investigation of the whole realm of psychic experience. In America it was the Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship… that drew together a substantial number of persons from the various denominations for such an exploration.” (Pg. 215)
Turning to Unity, he notes, “Unity is broadly tolerant of others’ beliefs and practices, but in its Training School activities it adheres closely to Unity principles… What has been and what is Unity’s relationship to INTA [International New Thought Alliance]? For a number of years, Charles Fillmore [co-founder of Unity] considered his work as a definite aspect of the New Thought Movement... But as early as 1905… Mr. Fillmore wrote that so far as Unity… was concerned, he felt that its teachings were widely different from those of the majority of New Thought leaders, and that he did not feel at home in the average gathering under that name, though it was always his attempt to harmonize all ‘seekers after Truth.’” (Pg. 259)
He points out, “Charles Fillmore himself believed in and taught the doctrine of reincarnation or rebirth… He had come to believe also that he had achieved physical immortality, but these beliefs apparently are no official part of Unity’s teachings. While the doctrine of reincarnation is taught by some Unity leaders… others do not so believe. It is not even mentioned in the officially published pamphlet, ‘What Unity Teaches.’” (Pg. 261)
He suggests, “Perhaps Divine Science stresses prayer more than do some of the New Thought groups, but prayer is defined as simply ‘acknowledging, affirming, and acting according to the true nature of being. Prayer is a state of receptivity in which Truth is accepted.'" (Pg. 283)
He asks, “Did Ernest Holmes believe that his teaching was the final revelation, which at all costs must be maintained in its purity as the authoritative basis of Religious Science, as in the case of Mrs. Eddy…? His brother Fenwicke… told me in personal conversation over and over again that Ernest had no notion that he had evolved the final answers to all the great questions.” (Pg. 302)
He states, “What [Robert Collier; 1885-1950] worked out in ‘The Secret of the Ages… can safely be characterized as more nearly approximately New Thought than any other recognized system, though in some respects it is closer to Christian Science than to the main line of New Thought.” (Pg. 373)
This is a very informative book, that will be of great interest to those studying the history of New Thought ideas and religions.
Charles Samuel Braden (1887-1970) was Chair of the Department of History and Literature of Religion at Northwestern University for many years; he was awarded ‘emeritus’ status in 1954.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1963 book, “Writing about the rise and development of any of the minority religious groups is not an easy task. Concerning their basic ideas and practices there is not so much difficulty, but when one seeks to go back and discover their beginnings and the stages through which they have evolved, it is another story. In general the libraries have paid little attention to them… Nor in general, have the various movements themselves been history-conscious. The Mormons are a notable exception, and Unity has also developed something in the nature of a small research library, dealing chiefly with Unity itself, but to some extent also with other related movements…
“For years the writer has sought to interest some seminary library in specializing in this field … At the same time he has urged some of the minority groups to make a definite effort to preserve materials which are of historic interest, if not today, then certainly tomorrow: for the story of these groups is genuine religious Americana---most of them were born on American soil of the American mind and spirit at some level…
“It is his sincere hope that this study of a great movement will be a welcome help to followers of one or another of the various branches of the movement in seeing themselves as a part of a movement greater than their own particular branch of it. And to those who stand outside the movement, may it serve as an aid to the understanding of a vital phase of religion that while differing from the usual orthodox expressions in many ways, nevertheless represent essential insights and practices which, once present in historic Christianity, have largely fallen into disuse.”
He states in Chapter 1, “Few terms can be defined adequately in only a few words of sentences, because they mean something different to different people at different times… Such a term is ‘New Thought,’ one loosely used to cover a wide range of philosophical, theological, psychological, and practical approaches to God, to the world, to life and its problems, that had its development within the last hundred years, chiefly in America, though under one name or another it has extended itself over much of the Western world.” (Pg. 9)
He reports, “Charles Brodie Patterson, one of the truly great leaders of New Thought, suggests that ‘the truth regarding life and its laws is to be found in man’s inner consciousness rather than in the study of phenomena… Man’s real search is the discovery of his own soul, for there God lives and moves and breathes, even though man may be unconscious of it.” (Pg. 11)
A publication of the Boston Metaphysical Club reported asking a former member of Christian Science what he thought of as the difference between New Thought and Christian Science, and was told there were three differences: “(1) The authoritarianism which has grown out of Christian Scientists’ conviction that Mrs. Eddy’s teachings constitute a final revelation has been no part of New Thought and its outlook… (2) Negativism has always dominated and still does dominate the Christian Science movement… (3) Christian Science is utterly opposed to ‘materia medica’ [i.e., substances used in medical remedies, such as drugs].” (Pg. 18-19)
Braden states of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (1802-1866) that ‘leaving healing on an apparently purely mental level… was Quimby’s great contribution. If he did not originate the notion of the interdependence of body and mind in matters of health, he was certainly the pioneer in America of the theory of the mental basis of all disease, and so the founder of New Thought.” (Pg. 68)
Braden reports that in his last book, Warren Felt Evans (1817-1889) “declares that it is quite unnecessary to deny the personality and persistent individuality of the human spirit… To the evidence of the senses, the individual human being disappears at what men call death… Evans does not furnish any blueprint as to what happens after this present life span… he never pronounces either for or against … a belief in reincarnation. His primary concern seems to be with the discovery in this present existence of the true nature of the real man, which seems to him to be the clue to a life of health, happiness, and peace.” (Pg. 112) Later, he adds, “Organizationally, of course, his influence was not felt. Evans was clearly not an organization man.” (Pg. 127)
Braden suggests that “in a sense New Thought owes its development in the first place, in part at least, to the feeling of loyalty of the Dressers [Julius A. Dresser and his wife Annetta] to P.P. Quimby. They thought he was being betrayed by Mrs. Eddy in her denial of any dependence upon him, and were convinced that Mrs. Eddy and those who accepted her as revelator of the Truth and as the Founder and organizer of what she was calling ‘Christian Science,’ were misrepresenting what he had taught and practiced.” (Pg. 137-138)
He notes, “Another very great New Thought leader, William Walker Atkinson (1862-1932), declared that New Thought had no fixed principles, settled rules, governing laws, or formal creeds. It took its own wherever it found it, adding to the list every day while at the same time discarding what it had outgrown. New Thought, he said, based itself upon an Infinite Presence-Power, which being infinite eluded definition.” (Pg. 191-193)
New Thought in general was opposed to 19th century Spiritualism (mediums, seances, etc.), but it does show some ‘interest in phenomena which have enlisted the scientific concern of universities such as Duke and others that have established departments of parapsychology dedicated to research in the field of supersensory experience. Already there had appeared within the orthodox churches organizations which represented at least an open mind in their willingness to risk serious investigation of the whole realm of psychic experience. In America it was the Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship… that drew together a substantial number of persons from the various denominations for such an exploration.” (Pg. 215)
Turning to Unity, he notes, “Unity is broadly tolerant of others’ beliefs and practices, but in its Training School activities it adheres closely to Unity principles… What has been and what is Unity’s relationship to INTA [International New Thought Alliance]? For a number of years, Charles Fillmore [co-founder of Unity] considered his work as a definite aspect of the New Thought Movement... But as early as 1905… Mr. Fillmore wrote that so far as Unity… was concerned, he felt that its teachings were widely different from those of the majority of New Thought leaders, and that he did not feel at home in the average gathering under that name, though it was always his attempt to harmonize all ‘seekers after Truth.’” (Pg. 259)
He points out, “Charles Fillmore himself believed in and taught the doctrine of reincarnation or rebirth… He had come to believe also that he had achieved physical immortality, but these beliefs apparently are no official part of Unity’s teachings. While the doctrine of reincarnation is taught by some Unity leaders… others do not so believe. It is not even mentioned in the officially published pamphlet, ‘What Unity Teaches.’” (Pg. 261)
He suggests, “Perhaps Divine Science stresses prayer more than do some of the New Thought groups, but prayer is defined as simply ‘acknowledging, affirming, and acting according to the true nature of being. Prayer is a state of receptivity in which Truth is accepted.'" (Pg. 283)
He asks, “Did Ernest Holmes believe that his teaching was the final revelation, which at all costs must be maintained in its purity as the authoritative basis of Religious Science, as in the case of Mrs. Eddy…? His brother Fenwicke… told me in personal conversation over and over again that Ernest had no notion that he had evolved the final answers to all the great questions.” (Pg. 302)
He states, “What [Robert Collier; 1885-1950] worked out in ‘The Secret of the Ages… can safely be characterized as more nearly approximately New Thought than any other recognized system, though in some respects it is closer to Christian Science than to the main line of New Thought.” (Pg. 373)
This is a very informative book, that will be of great interest to those studying the history of New Thought ideas and religions.
August 3, 2022
Too much details on noe unimportant groups due to the book being out of date. The good parts are the very detailed discussion of Quembley and Hopkins. The book covers from the early 1800’s through about 1960.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews