Reviews

“This is a valuable and comprehensive survey of the religious movement called New Thought–a cluster of American theological and metaphysical systems based on the power of the human mind to transform personal realities and interact with the divine mind. Haller skillfully weaves the multifaceted strands of this diverse and divergent movement into a coherent narrative. Starting with the rejection of traditional Christian metaphysics, and drawing from inspiring figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Anton Mesmer, and Emanuel Swedenborg, this movement quickly diversified in the 19th century, becoming an important part of American religious and social life. Innovators such as Phineas Quimby, Mary Baker Eddy, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, and many others developed practical new metaphysics that met American needs. Haller traces this movement into the 20th century, through such diverse figures as Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, and even Oprah Winfrey, along with Stephen Covey, Eckhart Tolle, Matthew Fox, and the Christian leaders of the Word of Faith movement. This fascinating and very readable book illuminates an important aspect of American culture and religion. Summing Up: Highly recommended.”

—M. A. Granquist, Luther Seminary, Choice

“Haller’s work on New Thought history is an engaging and welcomed addition to a recent trend of new books on the subject. The tapestry that is the history of New Thought is as varied and eclectic as the nation in which it was born. Haller pulls these threads together in a compelling fashion that gives the reader a deeper appreciation for the unique cultural context that gave rise to New Thought. Haller provides more than a historical review of where we emerged from; he also takes an honest look at how it happened. As such this book, more than any other in this genre, provides valuable insights into what the New Thought movement has become as it has both shaped and been shaped by the American psyche. I believe The History of New Thought will quickly become required reading for anyone who wants to know not only where New Thought came from, but also where it might go and grow from here.”

—Rev. David F. Alexander, senior minister, New Thought Center for Spiritual Living

“The popularity of the so-called Prosperity Gospel in modern American evangelicalism and the proliferation of exponents of this adaptation of Christian teachings have fascinated religious researchers for decades. But are there antecedents to this phenomenon that can help us understand its methods and motivations? Indeed, there is a long and complex history behind this movement, and in this fine work, author Haller (Swedenborg, Mesmer and the Mind/Body Connection: The Roots of Complementary Medicine) takes us into the heart of the uniquely American set of spiritual doctrines known as “New Thought” and shows how such thinkers as Emanuel Swedenborg, Mary Baker Eddy, and Norman Vincent Peale have affected the way we view religion and, indeed, God. Haller concludes that “New Thought marked a triumph of voluntarism, a vindication of religious freedom, and scorn for all forms of authoritarian creeds.” As such, it synthesizes the individualistic impulses of centuries of ecclesiastical radicals and serves it up in a distinctly American religious tradition. Haller, a historian at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, artfully and persuasively pulls together a complex history and shines a much needed light on a seductive and popular religious movement.”

—Publishers Weekly (October 8, 2012)

“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.”

—Book News Inc., Portland, OR