A guide to the phenomenal crop of prophets, cults, and utopian communities that arose in Upstate New York from 1776 to 1914.
Bronze Medalist, 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the US Northeast -Best Regional Non-Fiction Category
Honorable Mention, 2015 Foreword Reviews INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards in the Religion Category
From 1776 to 1914, an amazing collection of prophets, mediums, sects, cults, utopian communities, and spiritual leaders arose in Upstate New York. Along with the best known of these, such as the Shakers, Mormons, and Spiritualists, this book explores more than forty other spiritual leaders or groups, some of them virtually unknown, but all of them fascinating. The author uncovers common threads that characterize these homegrown spiritualities, including roots in Western esoteric traditions, liberation from the psychological pressures of dogmatic Christianity, a preoccupation with sex, and involvement in the radical reform movements of the day. In addition to maps and photographs of surviving buildings and monuments, the book also features a gazetteer of sites listing 150 locations connected to these groups, which may be used as a helpful travel guide to the region.
Table of Content
Acknowledgments
1. The Historical Background
2. The Religious Background
3. The Female Face of God
4. The Indian Tragedy
5. Sleeping Preachers
6. Mormon Roots
7. The Square and Compass
8. Not the End of the World
9. Not the End of the World
10. Perfection in This Life
11. The Poughkeepsie Seer
12. Rapping Spirits
13. The Progressives Take Notice
14. Sex, Drugs, and Mirrors
15. Chautauqua Follies
16. Open Breathing
17. Practical Spirits
18. Theosophy, from Ithaca to Halcyon
19. The Hollow Earth
20. Freethought
21. Oz and Ends
22. The Fra
23. The Craftsman
24. The Rochester Yogi
25. The Cauldron Refired
Maps
Gazetteer of Sites
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Joscelyn Godwin is Professor of Music at Colgate University. He has written many books on music, mysticism, and Western esoteric traditions.
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