New Thought Religion Really Isn't New At All

Feb 7, 2012
Betty Dishman

Unity Village, home of Unity School of Christianity, Lees Sumit, Missouri - wikimedia commons

The New Thought religious movement has its origins in 19th century transcendentalist literature as well as Christianity and Eastern spirituality.

The New Thought movement is thought of as an umbrella term for a collection of various beliefs emphasizing spirituality, meditation, constructive thinking, mind/body healing and a realization of creative intelligence or “God” within each person. New Thought practitioners reject the notion of Satan and original sin and believe mistakes result from lack of awareness of one’s true divine nature. Unity, Religious Science (also known as Science of Mind), Divine Science and various other groups make up the New Thought movement.

History:

The New Thought movement has its origins in 19th century American Christianity as well as the transcendentalist and metaphysical movements of the same time period. Phineas P. Quimby, who lived from 1802 to 1866, is usually cited as the founder of the New Thought movement. While Quimby had little formal education, he had an inquiring mind and after observing the mind’s ability to heal through hypnosis and suggestion, Quimby began to practice hypnotism and began to believe that illness is a matter of the mind. In 1859, he opened an office for mentally assisted healing in Portland, Maine. One of Quimby’s first students was Mary Baker Eddy, who went on to found the Christian Science movement.

Julius and Horatio Dresser are usually credited with being the founders of New Thought as a named movement. Julius delivered lectures emphasizing Quimby’s theories while his son Horatio spread his father’s teachings and edited “The Quimby Manuscripts,” which were published in 1921. Emma Curtis Hopkins, a student of Eddy’s, is also thought to be a founder of the New Thought movement. Hopkins viewed the Christian Trinity as three aspects of divinity each playing a role in different historical period of development: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Mother-Spirit. God the Mother-Spirit was, in her view, the beginning of a new historical epoch centered around the changing roles of women and the reign of the feminine aspect of God. Hopkins wrote “High Mysticism and Scientific Christian Mental Practice” and founded the Emma Hopkins College of Metaphysical Science, where the vast majority of graduates were women.

Beliefs:

The primary beliefs of New Thought groups are that the Divine is in everything and everyone and the mind is more powerful than matter. One of the first New Thought organizations - The Metaphysical Club of Boston - wrote around 1895 that “the purpose of New Thought is to promote interest in and the practice of a true philosophy of life and happiness; to show that through right thinking, one's loftiest ideals may be brought into present realization; and to advance intelligent and systematic treatment of disease by spiritual and mental methods.”

In 1916, the International New Thought Alliance developed this statement of purpose:

To teach the Infinitude of the Supreme One; the Divinity of Man and his Infinite Possibilities “through the creative power of constructive thinking and obedience to the voice of the indwelling Presence which is our source of Inspiration, Power, Health and Prosperity.”

The Unity School of Christianity’s basic teachings are as follows:

“God is the source and creator of all. There is no other enduring power. God is good and present everywhere.
We are spiritual beings, created in God’s image. The spirit of God lives within each person; therefore, all people are inherently good.
We create our life experiences through our way of thinking.
There is power in affirmative prayer, which we believe increases our connection to God.
Knowledge of these spiritual principles is not enough. We must live them.”

Divine Science adheres to the following “Statement of Being”:

“God is all, both visible and invisible. One Presence, One Mind, One Power is all.

This One that is all is perfect life, perfect love, and perfect substance. I am the individualized expression of God and ever one with this perfect life, perfect love, and perfect substance. ”

Christianity & New Thought:

Most, but not all, New Thought groups identify with Christianity. Quimby believed that Jesus fully understood the workings of the body and mind and was an example for all. Unity describes itself as “positive, practical Christianity” that “teaches the effective, daily application of the principles of Truth taught and exemplified by Jesus Christ.” Unity and Divine Science affirm the divinity of Jesus but also believe all human beings are divine. Heaven and hell are regarded as states of consciousness rather than places. Sin is viewed as separation from good or the “good” consciousness, while salvation can be attained in the present earthly existence and physical and spiritual sickness can be overcome by right thinking.

Practices/Rituals:

Prayer is the foundation for most New Thought teachings. Lectures and study of books and spiritual literature is also important in order to change one’s thinking from negative to positive. The Unity Church practices communion and spiritual baptism. They believe baptism happens as the “inflow of the Holy Spirit” and communion takes place by developing an awareness with the Christ spirit in prayer and silent meditation.