New Thought hymns or hymnals

[David Olson]

Dear Curious Singers,

This query does not relate to the existing corpus of shape note lyrics, 

but a search for "possible" future song sheets with lyrics that are more universal. 

"New Thought" is a major cultural movement in American history, but what are the hymns/lyrics.

For example, Norman Vincent Peale pastored the Marble Collegiate Church in New York from 1932 until 1984.

What was the hymnal? 

Hymnary.org search under "New Thought"

https://hymnary.org/search?qu=New+Thought

 gives "He Leadeth Me, He Leadeth Me" (1862, Joseph Gilmore) 

Seven pages into Google Scholar ::: "Norman Vincent Peale" intext:hymnal

gives

Venter, Maré. "New Thought in South Africa: A Profile." PhD diss., University of South Africa, 1996.

But the dissertation does not actually contain the word "hymnal" , "hymn" , "lyric" , and only one instance of "song". 

Any pointers on why New Thought doesn't have hymnals, or why nobody studies them, or where I might find alternative sources of lyrics (I know about Unitarian Singing The Living Tradition, but they borrow from us), please let me know,

until we sing again,

david olson

Los Angeles, California

[Fulton, Erin]

Dear David,

I keep a little Word document called "Religiously Weird" in which I put hymnal references that seem to have a particular philosophical outlook, but which I haven't been able to tie to any particular denomination. Perhaps worth checking out if any of these have New Thought ties, although they may well be bunkum for your purposes:

1. Hymns of the Higher Life (Troy, NY: Nims and Knight, 1897)
2. Alfred W. Martin, Hymns in Harmony with Modern Thought (Tacoma, WA?: 1901)
   
3. Norman O'Neill, Ethical Hymn Book with Music (London: Council of the Union of Ethical Societies, 1905)
   
4. H. Edward Mills, The Realization Song Book (Portland, OR: Prospero Press, 1925)
   
5. Songs of Realization (Los Angeles: Realization League, 1925)

A quick whirl around WorldCat revealed more likely suspects: Christian D. Larson, Hymns of Truth; the Religious Science Hymnal; Russell and Burnell's New Thought Hymns. I would advise searching either the keyword "New Thought" and sorting by format to isolate things cataloged as scores, or (better) searching the subject "New Thought" or more specific denominational ones in combination with the keyword "hymn*".

I have a pretty solid list of Spiritualist hymnals, if that interests you at all. (My guy Asa Fitz got into spiritualism late in his life--I've long considered setting out to research early Spiritualist music, but have never gotten around to it.) Mary Baker Eddy's hymns are also fairly widely available--does Christian Science count for New Thought?

Best,

E. Fulton.

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From: fasola-di...@googlegroups.com <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of David Olson <da...@thirdculture.com>
Sent: Monday, August 9, 2021 8:52 PM
To: Fasola Discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [fasola-discussions] New Thought hymns or hymnals

 

CAUTION: External Sender

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[Wade Kotter]

A scan of an 1887 printing of Hymns of the Higher Life is available here:

https://archive.org/details/hymnsofhigherlif00peir [note that there is an earlier printing in 1868]

A scan of Hymns in Harmony with Modern Thought is available here:

https://archive.org/details/hymnsinharmonywi00mart

A scan of Ethical Hymn Book with Music is available here:

https://archive.org/details/ethookw00coit

You might find this collection of interest as well:

https://archive.org/details/truthseekercoll00conggoog

Wade

Wade Kotter

South Ogden, UT

"Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord"

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[Liz Bryant]

Yes, Christian Science is part of New Thought along with Religious Science, which as I recall spun off from it, and Unity. There is a Christian Science hymnal and I expect hymnals for the other two churches can be found.

Not New Thought, but other sources of potentially more universal lyrics are the Goble and Lloyd "word books." (See brief last section on this page http://home.olemiss.edu/~mudws/resource/chap01.html.) In Hoboken, when they sing from the Lloyd book Saturday evenings (last times I was there anyway), they sing these verses to Mear:

1 God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform.
He plants his footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

2 Deep in unfathomable mines
of never-failing skill
he treasures up his bright designs,
and works his sov'reign will.

3 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
the clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy, and shall break
in blessings on your head.

4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
but trust him for his grace;
behind a frowning providence
he hides a smiling face.

5 His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding ev'ry hour;
the bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flow'r.

6 Blind unbelief is sure to err,
and scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
and he will make it plain.

This text, #305 in Lloyd's, is attributed to Wm Cowper on hymnary.org, where it is noted that it is also sung to Dundee. I love the pairing with Mear and am thinking of submitting the text as a proposed revision to Mear. I will be surprised, however, if people are willing to part with Mear's gloomy words.

I am sure others can provide texts from Lloyd's that are sung to other tunes from the Sacred Harp/Cooper Book in Hoboken.

Liz Bryant

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[Steve Nickolas]

> <https://hymnary.org/text/god_moves_in_a_mysterious_way#authority_media_flexscores>,

> where it is noted that it is also sung to Dundee. I love the pairing with
> Mear and am thinking of submitting the text as a proposed revision to Mear.
> I will be surprised, however, if people are willing to part with Mear's
> gloomy words.

It was William Cowper, yeah. DUNDEE is almost invariably the tune I've
seen associated with it.

It sounds very Davidic to me.

-uso.

[David Olson]

Thanks Erin, Wade, Midge, Liz, and Steve for helpful responses to my query.

In e-mail communication with the current music director of Marble Collegiate Church, I was informed that (1) they continue to regard Positive Thinking as a hallmark of their message, (2) they sing from the current Reformed Church in America hymnal, and (3) during the days of Norman Vincent Peale, they probably also sung from the RCA hymnal of the time.

Personally, I find it fascinating that, although Positive Thinking (New Thought) is often seen as a radical new direction in Christianity ("heretical character" -- John M. Krumm), the generation of even a single new hymn was not necessary. I.e., Positive Thinking was already there in the heritage hymnody. 

N.V. Peale himself grew up Methodist, and even though he changed his affiliation to RCA in order to pastor Marble Collegiate Church, Wesley hymns are in every hymnal (unless RCA is an exception). 

... the 7-7-7-7 meter hymns where the first syllable of every line tends to be a verb or other power-infused morpheme...

would that be "positive thinking" avant le nom?

If anyone knows about RCA hymnals 1932-1984, when N.V. Peale was pastoring Marble Collegiate Church, I'm all ears...

Gratefully,

David Olson

[Will Fitzgerald]

Here’s the list. 

https://hymnary.org/denomination/402

The 1955 Hymnal was one I used when I was at a conservative RCA church in East Lansing (University Reformed).  They were as far away from “positive thinking” as any I could imagine. 

--

Will

On Aug 13, 2021, at 2:19 PM, David Olson <da...@thirdculture.com> wrote:



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