Skip to content
Csbibliography

Annotated Bibliography of Christian Science

Academic and Other Literature

  • Home
  • About
    • About the ABCS Project
    • Support Opportunities (Donate)
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Annotations
    • Search Information
    • Category Search
    • Keyword Search
    • Advanced Search
    • Standard Search
    • Authors/Editor List
    • Title List
    • Recently Added
    • Search Support
  • Resources
    • The Book
    • Online Resources
    • ABCS Blog
    • Suggest Resources
  • Contact
Annotation Resource

“Christian Science and New Thought in California: Seeking Health, Happiness and Prosperity in Paradise”

“Christian Science and New Thought in California: Seeking Health, Happiness and Prosperity in Paradise”

Simmons, John K. and Brian Wilson. “Christian Science and New Thought in California: Seeking Health, Happiness and Prosperity in Paradise,” Pages 66-85 in Competing Visions of Paradise: The California Experience of 19th Century Sectarianism. Santa Barbara: Fithian Press, 1993.

Although Simmons sees major differences between the Christian Science and New Thought metaphysical movements, he finds at their heart a “metaphysical perfectionism” in sync with the late 19th-century American “can-do” spirit. This spirit was especially on display in “the golden glow of California culture” (68) with its promises of prosperity. A free-wheeling northern California of gold diggers and immigrants was attracted to metaphysical movements because they provided an “interior map” to guide the lost and alienated. The more affluent enculturated southern California, settled mostly by Midwesterners with their conservative values, gravitated toward these movements’ emphasis on order and perfection. Simmons documents the distinctly feminist roots of metaphysical movements, with women as the real “movers and shakers.” He also sees the various New Thought movements owing a debt to Eddy, not only because they borrowed heavily from her theology and organizational structure, but because she provided members “little theological/intellectual tether” (74) with which to explore outside the metaphysical universe of Christian Science. Therefore, some key women left Christian Science to become teachers of New Thought—most of whom had primary influence in California. Simmons finishes by exploring the reasons of decline among all these metaphysical movements today.

ISBN-10: 1564740641
ISBN-13: 978-1564740649

 

Simmons, John K.
Wilson, Brian

Related Annotations:

Annotations related by category:
  • Availability: Library or Purchase
  • Controversy: Plagiarism
  • Controversy: Quimby-Eddy Debate
  • Controversy: Theological Controversies
  • Official Christian Science Publication: No
  • People: Dresser, Horatio
  • People: Eddy, Mary Baker
  • People: Emerson, Ralph Waldo
  • People: Evans, Warren Felt
  • People: Hopkins, Emma Curtis
  • People: Mesmer, Franz
  • People: Quimby, Phineas
  • Publication Date: 1981-2000
  • Resource Types: Book Section
  • Subjects: Christian Science History after 1910
  • Subjects: Church Growth and Change
  • Subjects: Feminist Perspectives
  • Subjects: Healing and Health
  • Subjects: Metaphysical
  • Subjects: Social and Cultural Studies
Annotations related by keyword:
  • Animal Magnetism
  • Critical Analysis
  • Gender
  • Mind Cure
  • New Religious Movements
  • New Since the Book
  • New Thought
  • Recruitment
  • Swedenborgianism
  • Transcendentalism
  • Unity Church
  • Victorian
More by authors or editor(s):
  • Simmons, John K.
  • Wilson, Brian

Comment on this resource: Cancel

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Home

Search application instructions and overview.

Search Support

Questions? We've got answers.

Category Search

Select subject, person, organization and/or controversy to provide a subset of annotation results. The results page includes the ability to further limit your search.

Keyword Search

Select one or more specific keywords to provide a subset of annotation results. The results page includes the ability to further limit your search.

Advanced Search

Select from all search options to obtain very specific results.

Standard Search

Might yield a mix of relevant and irrelevant results, but could be very helpful if you are looking for a specific term not included in any of the other types of searches.

Annotations by Author
Annotations by Title
Most Recent

View the 30 most recently added annotations.

New Since the Book

View new annotations available here that were not included in the book.

Suggest a Resource
Donate via PayPal

Scholarly Works on Christian Science is the nonprofit corporation that produces the ABCS website. We rely on donations to keep the bibliography updated and available to the public. If you find this site useful we hope you'll consider donating to support the work. Donate via PayPal by clicking the button above or send a check to:

Scholarly Works on Christian Science
420 Conway Meadows Drive
St. Louis, MO 63017

© 2022 and later by Scholarly Works on Christian Science, all rights reserved.

Privacy Policy is here. Cookie Policy is here. Comment Policy is here.

This material was printed from the Annotated Bibliography of Christian Science website produced and maintained by Scholarly Works on Christian Science (https://csbibliography.org). All rights reserved.