“New Thought’s Hidden History: Emma Curtis Hopkins, Forgotten Founder”
Melton, J. Gordon. “New Thought’s Hidden History: Emma Curtis Hopkins, Forgotten Founder.” The Journal of the Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religion 1, no. 1 (1995): 5–39.
Melton’s uncovering of a largely forgotten history of the relationship between Mary Baker Eddy and Emma Curtis Hopkins provides historians of religion an insightful comparison between two successful women of the 19th century. Although the article’s focus is on Hopkins and her role as the unrecognized founder of New Thought, her relationship with Eddy illustrates both similarities and dissimilarities in the women and their churches. Hopkins had been a faithful and admiring student of Eddy’s until she tried to establish a religious movement using Eddy’s name, similar ecclesiological patterns, and religious goals, despite her differences with Eddy. Her abrupt break with Eddy was probably precipitated by her conclusion that Christian Science was not as unique as she originally believed. She saw evidence of ‘Science’ in many religious forms. Another difference was Hopkins’s conception of Christian Science more as ‘metaphysical healing’ than Eddy’s concern for Christian fellowship and practice. Hopkins resisted Eddy’s strong organizational control and sought to adapt to differing views. But ultimately she acknowledged the disruptive ‘personal ambitions’ of some of her practitioners that led to financial disaster. Hopkins assumed more authority for herself, returned to a stricter ecclesial organization, clearly identified her church’s mission, and underscored its feminist contribution to religious thought.
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