New Thought
New Thought describes a set of religious ideas that developed in the United States during the late 19th century, originating with
Emma Curtis Hopkins. Followers of New Thought also find inspiration in the
Transcendentalist philosophy, as it was developed by
Ralph Waldo Emerson and other 19th-century American thinkers. See also
New Thought Movement.
From this movement emerged several religious denominations that are actively spreading today, including
Divine Science,
Religious Science, the
Unity Church and the
Universal Foundation for Better Living, with the largest of these being the Unity Church, comprised of over two million members worldwide. Although Emma Curtis Hopkins, formerly associated with
Christian Science, was considered the "teacher of teachers" of several key New Thought leaders, Christian Science developed in a different direction and is not considered a New Thought denomination. There are generally recognized 6 modern religious traditions in New Thought today, Those already mentioned plus the pagan Churches of
Huna (see;
"NEW THOUGHT RELIGION: A Philosophy for Health, Happiness, and prosperity" by Dr. Martin A. Larson, PhD.), and the Japenese
"Seicho-No-Ie" religion.
New Thought religions generally share a core belief in
monism, the universal presence of a creative energy, or God, within the world and within all people. Some take literally the Christian teaching that "the kingdom of heaven is within."
The central teaching of New Thought is that thought evolves and unfolds, and thinking creates one's experience of the world. The movement places great emphasis in
positive thinking,
affirmations,
meditation, and
prayer. New Thought churches often avoid dogmatic pronouncements about the afterlife or other theological questions, and vary in the degree to which they associate themselves with Christianity or other major world religions. However, they generally have been influenced by a wide range of ideas.
Although New Thought churches are often mis-identified with the
New Age movement, New Thought beliefs predate contemporary New Age thinking by nearly a century, and New Thought churches typically do not share major tenets of New Age thinking. New Thought is distinctive from traditional religious movements in that it is expected to evolve and not remain static. Adherents believe that as humankind gains greater understanding of the world, New Thought churches will evolve to assimilate new knowledge.
The following individuals figured prominently in the history of the New Thought Movement:
*
Emma Curtis Hopkins*
Ernest Holmes *
Charles Fillmore*
H. Emilie Cady *
William Walker Atkinson *
Myrtle Fillmore *
Nona Brooks *
Thomas Troward *
Mary Baker Eddy*
Terry Cole Whittaker*
International New Thought Alliance*
Association for Global New Thought*
New Thought Movement*
A Course In Miracles *
Metaphysical Bible Dictionary*
Home of Truth*
Phineas Quimby*
Phineas Parkhurst Quimby General New Thought Links:
*
What is New Thought?*
Biographies of most New Thought writers*
International New Thought Alliance*
Affiliated New Thought Network*
Addington New Thought Archives*
New Thought History Chart*
Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religion*
University of Virginia religious movements page - entry on the New Thought Movement*
Emma Curtis Hopkins New Thought Denominations:
Divine Science*
Divine Science Federation International*
United Divine Science*
Divine Science of Metropolitan St. Louis*
What is Divine Science?/Church List*
Divine Science Writings Index*
Northwoods Divine Science ResourcesReligious Science*
United Church of Religious Science*
Religious Science International*
Global Religious Science MinistriesUnity*
Unity School of Christianity*
Association of Unity Churches*
World Federation of Unity ChurchesOther Major New Thought Groups*
The One and Only pages on New Thought in Japan (with multilingual links)
*
Universal Foundation for Better Living*
Seicho-No-IeNew Thought Churches and Ministries*
Modern Teaching of New Thought/Religious Science*
Celebration Center of Religious Science*
Agape International Spiritual Center*
Religious Science Baltimore*
New Thought IndianapolisOther Links*
Living Enrichment Center*
Humanity's Team
