Upstate cauldron
Subtitle: eccentric spiritual movements in early New York State
By: Joscelyn Godwin
Edition: Excelsior editions.
Series: SUNY series in Western Esoteric traditions; SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions
Publisher: Excelsior editions, and imprint of State University of New York Press
Published: 2015
Place of publication: Albany
Language: eng
Number of pages: 375
ISBN-13: 9781438455945; 9781438455952; 9781438455969
Subjects: Religion; Occultism; 02.50 esoteric and occult sciences; Esoterik; Religiöse Gruppe; Neue Religion
Description: "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."--Publisher's description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 349-364) and index.
Table of contents: title: The historical background; title: The religious background; title: The female face of God; title: The Indian tragedy; title: Sleeping preachers; title: Mormon roots; title: The square and compass; title: Not the end of the world; title: Brief utopias; title: Perfection in this life; title: The Poughkeepsie seer; title: Rapping spirits; title: The progressives take notice; title: Sex, drugs, and mirrors; title: Chautauqua follies; title: Open breathing; title: Practical spirits; title: Theosophy, from Ithaca to Halcyon; title: The hollow earth; title: Freethought; title: Oz and ends; title: The fra; title: The craftsman; title: The Rochester yogi; title: The cauldron refired.