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The history of New Thought : from mind cure to positive thinking and the prosperity gospel / John S. Haller, Jr. ; foreword by Robert C. Fuller.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Haller, John S., Jr., 1940-
- Series:
- Swedenborg studies ; no. 21.
- Swedenborg studies ; 21
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- New Thought.
- Mind and body.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (xiv, 389 pages).
- Place of Publication:
- West Chester, Pa. : Swedenborg Foundation Press, [2012]
- System Details:
- text file
- Summary:
- Haller (history and medical humanities, Southern Illinois U.) presents a history of "New Thought," from colonial days to the present, which attends to its relationship with scientific discourse and worldly "success." He explores the early foundations of New Thought in a rejection of pessimistic Calvinism in favor of self-directed theologies of emotion and intuition that tried to revive a spiritual core to Christianity that was hopeful of over-coming the "failings" of materiality. These traditions are grounded in Christianity and so East Asian religions in the west only figure as influences rather than developments. While he finds these traditions start out in earnest, they develop into various forms of spiritual hucksterism in the 20th century. To this end he considers the rise of Oprah, positive psychology's assault on the failings of market society, and alternative forms of medicine. Since he focuses on ideas more than historical actors, two appendices list organizations and individuals affiliated with New Thought. This text is published by Swedenborg Foundation Press. Emmanuel Swedenborg is a prominent figure in this history. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
- Contents:
- New beginnings
- Christ science
- Competing sciences
- Metropolitan religions
- The psychologies of healthy-mindedness
- Evolution's divine plan
- The marketplace of healing
- The prophet margin
- Dream weavers and money changers
- A retrospective
- Appendix A : New Thought denominations, centers, and institutes
- Appendix B : Sampling of New Thought authors.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 291-371) and index.
- Electronic reproduction. Palo Alto, Calif. Available via World Wide Web.
- Description based on print version record.
- ISBN:
- 0877856303
- 9780877856306
- Publisher Number:
- 99961126777
- Access Restriction:
- Restricted for use by site license.
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