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Phineas Parkhurst Quimby and Mary Baker Eddy were pivotal figures in the development of New Thought principles, which significantly influenced various religious and metaphysical movements in America. Their teachings, though distinct, shared certain core ideas and had an impact on later figures like E.W. Kenyon, who attended Emerson College of Oratory in Boston—a hub for New Thought philosophy during his time there.
Phineas P. Quimby (1802–1866)
Quimby is often regarded as the father of the New Thought Movement. His principles focused on the mind’s role in healing and human experience. Key teachings include:
The Mind as the Source of Health and Disease
Quimby taught that illness originates from incorrect beliefs or negative thinking.
By changing one’s thoughts, a person could experience physical healing.
Mental Healing through Right Thinking
He believed that correcting false beliefs and aligning thoughts with truth could restore health.
His method involved helping patients realize the mental causes of their suffering.
God as Universal Mind or Principle
Quimby viewed God not as a personal being but as a universal, divine mind or principle.
He emphasized aligning human consciousness with this divine mind for well-being.
The Power of Suggestion
He utilized suggestion and positive affirmations to influence the subconscious mind, promoting healing and well-being.
Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910)
Mary Baker Eddy, once a patient and student of Quimby, later founded Christian Science. While she built on some of Quimby’s ideas, she developed them into a distinct religious system. Her key teachings include:
Spiritual Reality over Material Reality
Eddy taught that the material world is an illusion and that only the spiritual is real.
Disease is a false belief, not a physical reality.
Healing through Spiritual Understanding
Healing comes not from the mind alone but through understanding spiritual truths about God and existence.
God as Divine Mind
Eddy described God as infinite Mind, Spirit, and Love, emphasizing God's omnipresence and omnipotence.
The Bible as a Spiritual Guide
She emphasized interpreting the Bible through a metaphysical lens, focusing on spiritual rather than literal meanings.
New Thought Influence at Emerson College
Emerson College of Oratory in Boston was a progressive institution in the late 19th century, known for teaching communication, public speaking, and integrating New Thought philosophy into its curriculum. The college attracted students interested in metaphysics, psychology, and innovative methods of communication. During E.W. Kenyon's time at Emerson, New Thought principles were widely discussed, though the institution wasn't explicitly New Thought in doctrine.
Influence on E.W. Kenyon (1867–1948)
Kenyon, who studied at Emerson College, was exposed to these New Thought ideas, though he later incorporated them into a Christian theological framework. His teachings on faith confession, the spoken word, and the power of belief reflect similarities to New Thought principles, such as:
The Power of Spoken Words
Similar to New Thought’s emphasis on affirmations, Kenyon taught that speaking God’s Word in faith brings spiritual and physical results.
Faith as a Creative Force
Kenyon believed that faith, when spoken, could manifest spiritual realities, echoing the New Thought concept of thought influencing reality.
Divine Healing
While rooted in biblical teaching, Kenyon’s view that healing can come through believing and speaking God’s promises shows parallels to Quimby and Eddy’s focus on healing through mental or spiritual alignment.
Key Differences Between New Thought and Kenyon’s Theology
While the environment at Emerson College influenced Kenyon, his teachings remained distinct from New Thought in several ways:
Christ-Centered Faith: Kenyon grounded his teachings in the authority of Scripture and the redemptive work of Christ, unlike New Thought’s broader metaphysical focus.
God as Personal: Kenyon viewed God as a personal, relational being, contrasting with Quimby’s and Eddy’s view of God as an impersonal Mind or Principle.
Sin and Redemption: Kenyon emphasized sin, repentance, and salvation through Jesus Christ, topics largely absent in New Thought teachings.
Conclusion
The New Thought principles taught by Phineas Quimby and Mary Baker Eddy—centered on the power of the mind, spiritual healing, and metaphysical interpretations of reality—shaped the intellectual environment of Emerson College, where E.W. Kenyon studied. While Kenyon integrated aspects of these ideas, particularly the power of words and belief, he filtered them through a biblically grounded, Christ-centered theology, distinguishing his teachings from New Thought philosophy.
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Scholars who argue that E.W. Kenyon's teachings were influenced by his time at Emerson College of Oratory base their claims on several key factors related to the intellectual and cultural environment of the college during the late 19th century. These scholars suggest that the ideas Kenyon absorbed at Emerson shaped his theology, especially regarding the power of words, faith confession, and divine healing.
Below are the main arguments and reasons scholars present for this connection:
1. Emerson College’s Association with New Thought and Metaphysical Ideas
Intellectual Climate: During the time Kenyon attended Emerson College (1892–1893), the school was a hub for New Thought philosophy, which emphasized the power of the mind, positive thinking, and metaphysical approaches to health and success.
Faculty Influence: The college faculty incorporated contemporary ideas about the mind, speech, and personal empowerment into their teaching. This environment naturally exposed students to ideas similar to those of Phineas Quimby, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Mary Baker Eddy.
Public Speaking and Mental Science: Emerson's curriculum combined oratory with emerging psychological theories on how speech and mental focus could shape reality, paralleling the New Thought focus on verbal affirmations and mental control over circumstances.
2. Similarities Between Kenyon’s Teachings and New Thought Concepts
Scholars point to conceptual overlaps between Kenyon's theology and New Thought ideas, suggesting that these similarities indicate influence:
The Power of Words:
New Thought: Speech and affirmations have the power to create or change reality.
Kenyon: The spoken Word of God, when confessed in faith, has the power to bring about healing, provision, and victory.
Faith as a Creative Force:
New Thought: Positive thinking and belief attract success and health.
Kenyon: Faith is a spiritual force that activates God's promises when spoken and believed.
Healing Through Mind and Spirit:
New Thought: Illness results from wrong beliefs; healing comes through right thinking.
Kenyon: Divine healing is accessed by believing and confessing God’s Word.
3. Timing and Location of Kenyon’s Studies
Cultural Influence: Kenyon attended Emerson during a time when New Thought was highly influential in Boston. This cultural atmosphere was saturated with metaphysical and mind-science movements.
Overlap in Educational Content: The college emphasized oratory, speech, and psychology, fields that naturally intersect with ideas about the power of words and mental discipline.
4. Lack of Earlier Christian Teaching on Certain Doctrines
Scholars note that some of Kenyon's distinct teachings (e.g., faith confession and the power of spoken words) were not common in orthodox Christian theology prior to his era.
The novelty of these teachings in Christian circles suggests that Kenyon may have drawn from non-traditional sources, such as the New Thought Movement or metaphysical thought.
5. Secondary Sources and Testimonies
Some critics and researchers have pointed out that Kenyon's writings contain terminology and concepts strikingly similar to those used in New Thought literature, raising the possibility of intellectual borrowing.
D.R. McConnell, in his book A Different Gospel, argues that Kenyon’s doctrines, especially regarding positive confession and faith healing, mirror New Thought ideas more than historic evangelical theology.
Kenyon’s Defenders and Counterarguments
Supporters of Kenyon, however, dispute this connection for several reasons:
Biblical Foundations: Kenyon consistently grounded his teachings in Scripture, focusing on the authority of God’s Word rather than metaphysical concepts.
Christ-Centered Theology: Unlike New Thought’s impersonal view of God, Kenyon’s theology was explicitly Christ-centered and rooted in the doctrines of sin, redemption, and the atonement.
Historical Continuity: Kenyon’s defenders argue that his teachings align more closely with earlier Holiness, Pentecostal, and Healing movements, not New Thought.
Lack of Direct Evidence: No clear documentation or personal writings explicitly show that Kenyon directly embraced or studied New Thought authors.
Conclusion
The scholarly argument that Emerson College influenced E.W. Kenyon stems from the school's intellectual climate, the overlap between his teachings and New Thought ideas, and the timing of his education. These factors suggest that Kenyon may have absorbed concepts about the power of words and mental influence, later blending them with biblical teachings. However, this view is debated, with Kenyon’s defenders emphasizing his commitment to Scripture and traditional Christian theology.
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Evg. Bradley Sliedrecht | Faith, Finances, and True Prosperity Bible Study Series
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