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Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman), a migrant to the American West, became famous for his rugged lifestyle and bizarre expression of religious belief. Promoted Swedenborgen. "homeless wanderer." Ties to nature were first of its kind. -
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American Romanticism
Movement away from Enlightenment reasoning. Related to Transcendentalism. Included Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School (painters) -
"Nature" - Emerson
Emerson's first important work. "I became a transparent eyeball." Humanity as part of a larger, greater picture of nature. Helped to assert Emerson as transcendentalisms great mystic. brought emphasis on nature to the forefront of the movement -
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Transcendentalism
movement that was most prolific in new england as a protest to general state of culture and society (especially unitarian church). believed in inherent goodness of man and nature.society and its institutions corrupted invidual. man is truly good when he is self reliant and independent. Major figures: Emerson, Thoreau -
Divinity School Address
Speech given to graduating class of Harvard Divinity School (5 students) by Emerson. Very controversial. Openly criticized religion. Showed that spirituality can be found outside of the church such as in nature. The world is inherently good and not corrupt. Encouraged people to think about ethics and to discover own beliefs. Inspired "heretic" (CHOICE) thinkers. Great transcendentalist mystic. -
Hudson River School
Group of artists notably Thomas Cole , Thomas Moran that found the divine in nature. -
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Spiritualism
Belief system that postulated that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have the ability and desire to communicate with the living. Anyone can receive messages but "mediums" hold formal communication sessions (seances). Mediums were often young women such as the Fox Sisters. Provided an argument for a rebellion against death and religious orthodozy (anti Calvinism and predestination). Tied closely to women's movement. Game women an outlet to speak publicly. -
Achsa Sprague trance lectures
One of best known Spiritualists during the 1850s. Medium and trance lecturer. Credited her recovery from terminal illness to intercession with spirits. Also an abolitionist and proponent of women's rights. -
Leaves of Grass Published
Signature work of Whitman. Poems were less structured. Themes: nature, body, spirituality, equality between men and women. Adored by Emerson but shunted off by others until after Whitman's death. Whitman hoped it would become the "Bible of the New Religion." Became a manifesto for the spirituality movement and helped to articulate common sentiments. Also did not include his name but merely a picture as authorship- the "every man"
Song of the Open Road, I Sing the Body Electric -
Mary Todd Lincoln holds seances in White House
Following death of husband and son Todd, Mary Todd Lincoln held a series of seances in the White House as a way to deal with sorrow and grief. This helped popularize seances, spiritualism. -
"Sympathy of Religions"
Written by Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Transcendentalist text. Foundation of religious unity and harmony is in the notion of sympathy into the realm of comparative religions. Sympthy as compassion and benevolence. Religious openness over Christian uniqueness -
William Mumler Spirit Photographs
Took photos of individuals and their deceased. Helped grieving and bereaved americans by providing tangible evidence of afterlife. Largely believed to be fake. Provided a way for individuals to investigate spiritualism -
Thomas Moran - Mountain of the Holy Cross
Thomas Moran of the Hudson River School painting. Showed a cross in the side of the mountain that he documented on a trip west with William Henry Jackson. Iconic images of the west. Found sublime in nature. Symoblized "God's Country" - a Christian nation. -
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New Thought
movement that merged spiritualism and science. Replaced spiritualism as it died out at end of 19th century due to hoaxes/scandals. Encompassed growing Women's Movement. Largely a print/text movement. Suggested that one's spiritual composure, physical health, happiness, and wellbeing flowed from one's rapport with the cosmos. "in tune with the infinite" - like Trine. Christian Science, Religious Science. Major Players: Ralph Waldo Trine -
American Nervousness - George Beard
Americans are becoming unhealthy due to overstimulation of modern life. Life is too fast, busy, stressful. Demonstrates the appeal of New Thought - these are the anxieties of modern life that New Thought claimed to confront, reconciles the spirit and body with science. Thinking positively and meditating in order to live a more healthy life -
Maha Bodhi Society founded
Society founded by Anagarika Dharmapala to promote Buddhism in India, Ceylon and eventually America. Dharmapala: Sinhalese monk who gained attention after speaking at World's Parliament of Religions. Gave lessons on how to live a peaceful life. Stressed Buddhisms compatability with science and the modern West; showed religions rationality and effectiveness. played a big part in furthering meditation in America -
World Parliament of Religions
Held in Chicago with the World's Fair. First encounter of East and West religions. Before, Westerners had never met a real Buddhist/Hindu and were functioning off of conjecture. Assumptions did not match reality. Tension at parliament due to "superiority of west." Presence of Asians was somewhat tension filled due to the Chinese Exclusion Act. Hindus/Buddhists stole the show. 150,000 attendees. Lectures, prayers, songs from different religions. Eastern religions became more accessible. -
Greenacre Founded
Retreat center founded by Sarah Farmer in Maine after World Parliament for spiritual exploration/study. (Farmer missed the actual conference but met with attendees.) Originally for comparative and cooperative religious study, it focused more on Bahai after she converted in 1900. -
American Vedanta Society founded
Founded by Swami Vivekananda (rock star of the parliament) after World Parliament of Religions. Helped spread Hinduism in America and made it accessible to Americans. Represented the trend of East and West meeting/diffusing. Advocated that religions have the same basic goals and that there is no reason to fight. -
"In Tune with the Infinite" - Trine
Trine was a mystic and teacher of the New Thought movement. influenced many of his contemporaries. Sold tons of books which reached to people outside the New Thought movement. Argued that the mind was the most powerful tool. You can't be sick or ill if your mind is healthy. Your inner state determines reality. -
Maha Bodi Society brought to US?
Founded by Dharmapala to stress compatibility of Buddhism with science and modern West. Made Buddhism more accessible in West and represented mixing of East and West -
Varieties of Religious Experience
Series of lectures by William James (originally a psychologist) to defend experience against philosophy as backbone of religious life. Religion is mankind's most important function. Referenced lots of raw data of experience: quotes and experiences. Most systematic and thorough study of religious experience ever. Most important work of religious study produced by an American at that time. Approaches religion in a scientific manner. Test the "cash value" of religious experience -
William Janes Definition of Religion
The Varities of Religious Experience. "the feelings, acts and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider divine." James focused on religion as solitude of individual. Broke away from religion as an institution that was mediated by experience and focused on the first order individual experience with the divine. -
International Congress of Religious Liberals
In Boston. Attended by Swami Yogananda, an influential Hindu during 20th century. Established Self-Realization Fellowship and introduces Westerners to yoga and meditation. -
Alcoholics Anonymous founded
Founded by Bill Wilson after being inspired by Janes's "healthy mindedness" "Resign your power to destiny of higher power, accept that you're not in control, you can't do anything about it and you need help" -
LSD developed/discovered
Discovered byt Dr. Hofmann in Switzerland. Later discovered the psychoactive properties in 1943. Was used for research on schizophrenia, depression and anxiety. Used as a truth serum by the CIA unsuccessfully. Outlawed in 1966 but continued to be used for mystical and religious experiences. -
Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow presented this concept in the paper "A Theory of Human Motivation." Later more fully expressed in Motivations and Personality (1954). Stages: Physiological>Safety>Love/belonging>Esteem>Self-Actualization -
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UFO Phenomenon
Growth of this phenomenon after WW2. Fits into the new age paradigm. -
Mattachine Society founded
By Harry Hays, the father of the Gay Rights Movement. Modeled after AA as a therapeutic organization. Turned to spirituality to articulate what it meant to be gay. -
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Birth of Wicca Movement
"Witchcraft." Find divine in the natural world. Ritual life centers of natural cycles. Includes magical practices and often polytheism though each person is encourage to seek what they need. There is a tension between preserving sacred heritage and being adaptable to modern life. -
On The Road published
Jack Kerouac's famous novel inspired by a cross country search for God. Intended to be read of a continuous scroll of paper. Beat generation. -
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Humanistic Psychology
Movement of Psych that focused on each individual's potential and stressed the importance of growth and self-actualization. This field was led by Abraham Maslow (who also developed the hierarchy of needs). Ideas for the movement came from the "human potential" movement which maintained that all of us have untapped resources and in mystical experience we can see the unification of all religions. -
Beginning of Thich Nhat Hahn's social presence
In the early 60s, Hahn founded a School of Youth for Social Service to rebuild bombed villages, set up schools, etc. He later urged US to withdraw from Vietnam. Nominated for Peace Prize by MLK. Has become an important influence in the development of Western Buddhism. -
Esalen Founded
Founded in Big Sur, CA (with hot springs) by Michael Murphy and Dick Price. Became the ground zero for the human potential movement. A holistic place to cultive mind, body, spirit and psyche. Became the model for other similar schools/retreats around the country. -
Good Friday Experiment
Experiment conducted by Walter Pahnke and Huston Smith while grad students as Harvard. 20 seminary students were sent to the basement chapel of a large church. 10 were given lsd and 10 were not. The difference was pretty obvious. They were trying to search for an "authentic religious experience" - LSD as a spiritual tool -
LSD Outlawed
Due to overuse as a party drug -
Jesus People
Group/movement started in The Living Room, a Christian coffee shop, designed to help drug addicts start a new life. Traditional and conservative in their beliefs but felt hostility toward churches. They believed Jesus would be coming soon which made it hard to focus on reforms or the political sphere. Shows the legacy of the counter culture in the Christian faith -
"A Christian Looks at Zen"
Represents Thomas Merton's interests in Taoist writings as well as friendship with DT Suzuki. Strongly believes that encounter with Eastern mysticism both enriched western practice and act as a prophetic challenge to the contemplative complacency of the West -
Whole Earth Catalog
Connected those in a network sort of fashion from spiritual communities. -
George Harrison produces "My Sweet Lord"
the spiritual beatle -
Ram Dass publishes "Be Here Now"
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Rothko Chapel built
contemporary looking chapel located in Houston, Texas as peaceful place for people of all faiths and seekers to reflect and meditate. Designed by Mark Rothko (the huge colored canvas guy). The design included large black color scapes in threes to represent the trinity. simple, open, genuine. emphasizes search for individuality within spirituality -
"Our Bodies, Ourselves" Published
Published by the Boston Women's Health collective as one of if not the first publication specifically for women's health. Provided clear and precise info on women's health/body in a positive way. -
The Farm founded
by Stephen Gaskin as a hippie commune. Broke the mold of a traditional nuclear family. Grew to 1500 people at one time. Became a collective farm instead of a commune to help with financial struggles. -
Explo '72
Evangelist Conference sponsored by the Campus Crusade for Christ. Held in various locations in Dallas during a week with a nightly gathering at the cotton bowl. Aimed to gather 100,000 students to train them in personal evangelism and to encourage them to seek a Christian service career. Most visible event of the Jesus movement of the 70s and came to be associated with the movement even though its attendees were not directly involved with the mvmt. -
Radical Faeries
Movement to redefine queer identity. Developed out of a conference and influence of Harry Hay. Focuses on the spiritual politics of homosexuality. -
Heretical Imperative published
Book written by Peter Berger which outlines the "Heretical Imperative" - the principle that we have no choice but to be heretics/choosers. We are forced to choose rather than blindly accept the doctrine of our own church. -
Habits of the Hearts published
Discussed the balance between individual and community as it pertains to religious history in america. Concludes that they are equally important and rely on each other. Religion as a way for Americans to get involved in the life of their community -
"virtuosi of the self"
The Triumph of the Therapeutic by Philip Reiff is published which includes this quotation about being a "virtuosi of the self" or in other words in tune with yourself and the ability to fashion a personal philosophy possibly divorced or distinguished from your church -
Huston Smith publishes "The World's Religions"
This book, written by Smith, a major religious studies scholar, has become a staple in the study of comparative religions. Smith spent 10 years as a Hindu, 10 as a Buddhist and 10 as a Sufi Muslim. He was also influenced by the writings of Aldous Huxley which turned him toward mysticism. Was part of the Good Friday Experiment. -
Dark Green Religion published
Book by Bron Taylor which details a religion characterized by the central convictions that
1. nature is sacred
2. nature has intrinsic value
3. everything is connected and mutually interdependent
4. there are real feelings of belonging in nature
Has features of a real religion such as texts (Walden), prophets (Thoreau) and rituals (soul surfing). Also has dangerous elements like eco-terrorism. -
Avatar released
Highest grossing movie of all time. Tapped into something of our moment and appeals to the themes of our time. Spiritual dimension, emphasis of networks and environmentally conscious awareness -
A Course in Miracles published
by Helen Schucman. A text that was scribed by Schucman from a channeled inner voice that she attributes to Jesus. Grass roots movement. Redefined miracles as the undoing of all that complexity.
