New Thought is a spiritual movement that emerged in the late 19th century. (Some of the authors are pictured above. Please help identify them.) It emphasizes the power of positive (or any) thinking and includes the Law of Attraction. At its core, New Thought teaches that individuals have the power to create their existing reality through their own thoughts and beliefs. The principles of New Thought align with many teachings in the Bible, and many New Thought practitioners draw inspiration from scriptures. Unity is part of this New Thought movement.
The chief tenets of The New Thought Movement are:
Infinite Intelligence (God) is omnipotent and omnipresent.
Spirit is the ultimate reality.
True human self-hood is divine.
Divinely attuned thought is a positive force for good.
Disease is ultimately mental in origin.
Right-thinking has a healing effect.
A reference can be found in Proverbs 23:7, which states "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." This verse highlights the idea that our thoughts shape our reality and our identity. New Thought teaches that by aligning our thoughts with the positive, we can manifest positive outcomes in our lives.
New Thought also draws inspiration from the parable of the mustard seed found in Matthew 13:31-32 and Luke 13:18-19. The parable speaks of a mustard seed, which is a small seed, yet when it is planted and grows, it becomes a large plant. New Thought teaches that just as the mustard seed can grow into something great, so too can our thoughts and beliefs manifest into great things (or even most anything) in our lives.
Another reference can be found in Matthew 9:29, where Jesus says "According to your faith be it unto you." This verse suggests that our faith, or belief in something, has the power to shape our reality. This aligns with the New Thought principle that our thoughts and beliefs shape our reality. Sometimes it is asked, “Why do people get the diseases and health conditions that they get?” This scripture explains that they get what they think about; they get what they focus on. The focus can be on the positive or not. (Fears can be thought of as a faith that things will go wrong.)
New Thought principles align with many teachings in the Bible, drawing inspiration from scripture. These references highlight the idea that our thoughts shape our reality, that our beliefs have power to shape our reality and even small thoughts may manifest into great things in our lives.
Ernest Holmes taught New Thought in a Christian context in his church. In The Science of Mind, Holmes described this God-force as follows:
There is a Universal Mind, Spirit, Intelligence, that is the origin of everything: It is First Cause. It is God. This Universal Life and Energy finds an outlet in and through all that is energized, and through everything that lives. Universal Mind IS.
Holmes argued that human beings have access to the power of this Universal Mind by directing their thoughts, especially their beliefs.
Unity’s founders were Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. Other New Thought practitioners were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mary Baker Eddy, Emma Curtis Hopkins. In fact Charles and Myrtle were inspired to go deeper into their spiritual work after hearing a New Thought presentation given by Emma Curtis Hopkins in Kansas City, Missouri.
02/12/23