New Thought Movement & Spirituality

• Study Notes

Rothko Chapel

• A non-denominational, octagon-Greek cross shaped chapel in Houston, TX, founded in 1971 by John and Dominique de Menil
• Features 14 black color-hued paintings by Rothko on its walls
• Became the world's first holy place open to all religions and none, serving as a center for international cultural, religious, and philosophical exchanges and performances
• Popularized meditation in the United States

Sheilaism

• Short-hand for an individual's system of religious beliefs that co-opts strands of multiple religions chosen by the individual
• Named after Sheila Larson, with sentiments present in her book "Habits of the Heart" (1985)
• Allows for flexibility in religion and individuality, resonating with all age groups
• Popularized breaking away from traditional religion and claiming religious independence
• Emphasized individualism impressively during the 1980s

Johnny Appleseed

• An American missionary for the New Church, active in the 1790s who preached gospel while introducing apple trees throughout the Midwest
• Helped spread the gospel of the New Church
• Embodied the transcendentalist ideal of solitude, also explored by Henry David Thoreau

Paul Carus

• A German-American author, editor, student of comparative religion, and philosopher who resonated with Dharmapala's words about Buddhism and became an "atheist who loves God”
• Believed that western thought mistakenly distinguished between body/mind and material/spiritual
• Sought to reestablish the unity of knowledge through science, resulting in monism
• Regarded God as the name of cosmic order and the law of nature

Anagarika Dharmapala

• A delegate from Asia at the World's Parliament of Religions, who highlighted tension in the West
• Educated by Christians in India, which turned him off organized religion and led him to shift from theology towards philosophy and psychology
• Founded the US branch of the Maha Bodhi Society in 1897
• Stressed compatibility of Buddhism with science and the modern West, teaching meditation practices throughout the United States

Ralph Waldo Emerson

• An American philosopher and author known for his book "In Tune With the Infinite" (1897)
• Part of the new thought movement, which asserts that God is everywhere and divinity resides within each individual
• Promoted mind-cure philosophy and new thought ideals like positive thinking and the connection between the individual and the divine
• "In tune with the infinite" stressed openness to the "divine inflow" of God's infinite spirit and motivated incorporating these ideals into their lives

Sarah Farmer

• Founded the Greenacre community in Eliot, Maine, in 1894, embodying the ideals of the World's Parliament
• Allowed for greater exploration of comparative religions
• Embodied the conflict between seeking and dwelling, admonished by transcendentalist friends for a "dwelling approach" instead of seeking

Greenacre

• Founded by Sarah Farmer
• Provided a forum for greater exploration of comparative religions
• Was the last great bastion of transcendentalism, and one of the most prominent sources of religious innovation
• A spiritual hub that hosted leaders from a wide array of religious schools from Buddhism to Islam to Zoroastrianism

Henry David Thoreau

• (1817-1862) An American transcendentalist known for his book Walden, published in 1854
• Walden reflected on Thoreau's stay at Walden Pond and his spiritual retreat into nature, serving as a famous exploration of solitude
• Thoreau emphasized self-reliance and deeper analysis of the connection between nature and spirituality
• Emphasized nature's overwhelming characteristic, celebrating its perspective and paving the way for others to embark on journeys of nature

Thomas Wentworth Higginson

• An American Unitarian minister, author, abolitionist, and soldier
• Best known for his influential religious essay, "The Sympathy of Religions," advocating for unity among faiths through extending sympathy into religion
• Believed emphasizing similarities between faiths would lead to harmony
• Pushed spiritual cosmopolitanism as resulting in a universal religion of spirituality

In Tune with the Infinite

• A bestselling book by New Thought Thinker Ralph Waldo Trine
• Part of a new thought movement asserting God is everywhere and divinity resides within each individual
• Promoted ideals like positive thinking and the connection between the individual and the divine
• Stressed openness to the “divine inflow” of God's infinite spirit and motivated incorporating these ideals into their lives

Rufus Jones

• (1863-1948) A writer on mysticism who was born and raised a Quaker
• Began a new version of the Society of Friends
• Responsible for popularizing the notion of the spiritual seeker
• Identified with Whitman and claimed the Society of Friends stood for an "inward, mystical religion"
• Claimed religion was a "personal meeting of the soul with God" and wanted to focus on the recovery of the historical seekers

Thomas Kelly

• (1893-1941) An American Quaker educator who taught and wrote on mysticism
• A follower of Quaker Rufus Jones
• Noted for emphasizing "God seeking" over "self seeking," which means focusing on God over oneself
• Promoted mysticism as rejecting material things and connecting with the divine rather than prioritizing material objects

Leaves of Grass

• Contains poems by Walt Whitman (1855)
• Whitman saw it as the "bible of new religion" and is significant in many ways
• The poems capture post-Protestant liberalism and focus on mystic individualism
• Explores how the body connects with the spiritual
• Controversial for its overt sexual tones, making Whitman an icon in LGBTQ and feminist circles
• Emphasizes experiences of transcendence and the aesthetics of spirituality

New Thought

• A movement that started in the 1830s which asserts that God is everywhere and divinity resides within each individual
• Ralph Waldo Trine was a prominent New thought thinker who spread the movement's ideals through his book "In tune with the Infinite" (1897)
• Its significance is seen through its success in the self-help industry
• Advocates that thoughts are forces, holding that turmoil in the mind can manifest in one's life and body
• Promotes positive thinking and openness to the "divine inflow" of God
• Attracted women, aligning with their traditional roles as healers and caretakers

Seeking

• The "dwelling and seeking" model of spirituality was explained by Robert Wuthnow in his book "After Heaven" (1998)
• Wuthnow explained that seeking was journeying and spiritual discovery
• It marks a turn away from organized religion to a more individualized version of spirituality, and switching religious producers

Dwelling

• The "dwelling and seeking" model of spirituality, explained by Robert Wuthnow in his book "After Heaven" (1998)
• Wuthnow explained that dwelling was the traditional spirituality of inhabiting sacred places (both literally and metaphorically)
• It encompasses being at home in the universe and knowing one's place in the world
• The dwelling model coincided with traditional approaches of organized religion
• Wuthnow that there was a turn away from this model in favor of spiritual seeking

Séance

• A meeting to contact the dead through a medium
• A prominent aspect of the movement known as spiritualism which started in 1848
• Emphasies the central role of the seance and the medium, promoting a benevolent view of spirits watching over us
• Important because it allowed for a turning away from common Calvinist religious doctrine

Achsa Sprague

• (1827-1862) A women's rights advocate and trance lecturer who spoke with authority
• Ironic because it allowed women to have authority but not actually speak for themselves
• Being a medium allowed them to become empowered and serve as a case study of empowerment

"The Sympathy of Religions"

• A speech/essay written by Thomas Wentworth Higginson in 1871, arguing for religious sympathy for all religions
• Highlights universal values among religions and emphasizes cosmopolitan spirituality
• Significant for encouraging listeners to practice under one God and treat others as they wish to be treated

Spiritualism

• A movement beginning on March 31st, 1848, when the Fox sisters produced knocking sounds allegedly to be spirit messages
• Emphasized direct communication with spirits of the dead through seances as a movement
• Holds a benevolent view of spirits watching over us, turning away from traditional Calvinist religious doctrine
• Gave women an outlet to rebel against authority by entering trances to be possessed by spirits and have a voice

Transcendentalism

• The American branch of Romanticism (1820s and 30s) which emphasized emotion and self-reliance
• Emphasized passion, experiences, and intuition over mechanization
• Introduced nature as a conduit for spiritual realization, opposed to being scary and wild

Ralph Waldo Trine

• An American transcendentalist who opposed slavery and stressed self-reliance, optimism, self-improvement, self-confidence, and freedom through his essays (mid 1830s and 40s)
• Considered to be America's "Intellectual Declaration of Independence," delivering the Divinity School Address in 1838
• Furthered the movement, spreading the gospel of self-reliance, inspiring religion through nature, and shocking traditional American churches

The Varieties of Religious Experience

• (1902) A book by William James, discussing philosophical pragmatism and connection between religion and science
• Played a role in discourse surrounding "healthy-mindedness" which emphasized positive thinking and adopting beliefs

"Song of the Open Road"

• Poem (1858) by Walt Whitman
• Embodied central themes of spirituality in America as a process rather than an accomplishment
• Touched on seeking vs. dwelling, emphasizing the spiritual journey literally and metaphorically

"I Sing the Body Electric"

• Poem (1855) by Walt Whitman
• Embodies central themes of American spirituality such as mind, spirit, and body
• Celebrates nature and the body, and this poem touches on equality as it expresses the ideas that both men and womens bodies are sacred, and that the spirit and the body are not the same
• Sparked controversy because of its overt sexual tones

Walt Whitman

• (1819-1892) An American poet writing on transcendentalist themes who embodied the Democrat impulse
• Captured the sentiments of post-protestant liberalism in his poetry
• Leaves of Grass (1855) was very controversial due to its overt sexual tones
• Template for Romantic Displacement

Spirit Photography

• Began in 1848 as part of the spiritualism movement that focused on direct communication with spirits of the dead
• Emphasized the central role of the seance and medium and holds a benevolent view of spirits
• Allowed people to "see" spirits in photographs, aiding the search for proof and connection, seen as compatible with science and reason

George Board

• An American neurologist who wrote the book "American Nervousness" (1881)
• Argues that the modern stress of life is the cause of American nervousness
• States you must tender "right thinking" to find peace of mind and embodies science and religion

Heretical Imperative

• Peter Berger, an Austrian-born American sociologist and Protestant theologian defines a heretic as someone who chooses rather than accepts authority.
• Discusses how we no longer live under a "sacred canopy", as our current world cannot be contained
• Champions that in modern society, individuals choose their own religious path, related ideal of self-reliance

World's Parliament of Religions

• A Chicago conference in 1893 that fostered a global dialogue with different faiths
• The first great time of East-West encounter in American religious history
• Built on liberal notions of sympathy and unity of religions, marking a step toward the globalization of American religion, frustrating attendees from other nations

Swami Vivekananda

• Founded Vedanta Society, a society of Hindu philosophy (1894)
• Society provided info to Americans that wanted to potentially convert to Hinduism
• Spoke at the World's Parliament of Religions about the "sympathy of religions' ', saying we all needed to be christian
• He influenced traditional Protestants to move away from the Christian missionary logic

Vedanta society

• Hindu philosophy society founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1894
• Society provided info to those that wanted to potentially convert to Hinduism
• Shows the stigmatization of Eastern religions at this time

Maha Bodhi Society

• Founded by Dharmapala in 189, it was created with the purpose of reviving and defending Buddhism in India and Ceylon
• Aims to restore the glory and sanctity of Bodh Gaya
• Had influences in America- it allowed the growth of Buddhism in America

Mohammad Alexander Russell Webb

• An American journalist and editor who, after working in the Phillipines, led a Muslim mission to America
• His approach to religion was sympathetic, and learning inquiry and spiritual independence
• He is a part of a larger gorp who felt lacked a connection to the structured Christian church

Romanticism

• Originated in Europe in the 1770s, it reacts against the Enlightment movement
• Consists of primary means for discovering truth consisting intellect + reason
• Revolves around emotion, humanity, the senses, experience intuition and nature

Thomas Moran

• (1837-1926) An American painter from the city who is best known for his paintings
• Together with William Henry Jackson, displayed their beauty and provided their audience an experience significant
• His work demonstrated the majestic sublime characteristics of these spaces

"Divinity School Address"

• A graduation speech that Ralph gave Waldo Emerson
• reflected his view of transcendentalist championed
• Advocated the intuition of self reliance of ideas

"Transparent eyeball"

• Published the essay "Nature" in 1836 by Emerson
• Describes the closest experiences to experiencing the presence of God
• Significantly further transcendentalist views with culture in search of the divine

Mountain of the Holy Cross

• A painting made by Thomas Moran in 1875 depicting Yellowstone Nation Park
• Captures the paradise aspect of wilderness- with Willian Henry
• Their work represented the revalution of nature and the paradise

William James

• (1842-1907) American philosopher and psychologist
• His book "The Varieties of Religious Experience" (1902) describes William James's work
• Advocated experience and blended the mystical/metaphysical
• Concept of spiritual, but not always intellect

Cash Value

• Metaphor was developed by psychologist William James
• He looked to uncover the search value of tree beliefs
• He believed in the connection between pragmatism and religion

Virtuosi of the Self

• Describes the idea of Phillip Reif's The Triumoph
• Reflect the self reliance of ideas, and knowledge itself
• That in society, individuals are faced with own religious belief

William Henry Jackson

• Jackson was a photographer + Civil war veteran
• Famous to capture his images of the American West
• His photos displayed heavenly images portrayed as a sanctury

Questions about New Thought movement's core beliefs and its understanding of the mind-body connection. Also explores spirituality models, figures like Johnny Appleseed, and the relationship between science and spirituality.