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The Profits Of Religion
''The Profits of Religion: An Essay in Economic Interpretation'' is a nonfiction book, first published in 1917, by the American novelist and muck-raking journalist Upton Sinclair. It is a snapshot of the religious movements in the U.S. before its entry into World War I. The book is the first of the "Dead Hand" series: six books Sinclair wrote on American institutions. The series also includes ''The Brass Check'' (journalism), ''The Goose-step'' (higher education), ''The Goslings'' (elementary and high school education), '' Mammonart'' (art) and ''Money Writes!'' (literature). The term "Dead Hand" ironically refers to Adam Smith's concept that allowing an "invisible hand" of individual self-interest to shape economic relations provides the best result for society as a whole. In this book, Sinclair attacks institutionalized religion as a "source of income to parasites, and the natural ally of every form of oppression and exploitation." Overview Most clergymen are hypocrites, but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Upton Sinclair
Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. (September 20, 1878 – November 25, 1968) was an American author, muckraker journalist, and political activist, and the 1934 California gubernatorial election, 1934 Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party nominee for governor of California. He wrote nearly 100 books and other works in several genres. Sinclair's work was well known and popular in the first half of the 20th century, and he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1943. In 1906, Sinclair acquired particular fame for his muckraking fictional novel, ''The Jungle'', which exposed the fictional labor and sanitary conditions in the U.S. meatpacking industry, causing a public uproar that contributed in part to the passage a few months later of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. In 1919, he published ''The Brass Check'', a muckraking Exposé (journalism), exposé of American journalism that publicized the issue of yellow journalism and the limitations of the " ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Thought
The New Thought movement (also Higher Thought) is a new religious movement that coalesced in the United States in the early 19th century. New Thought was seen by its adherents as succeeding "ancient thought", accumulated wisdom and philosophy from a variety of origins, such as Classical Greece, Ancient Greek, Culture of ancient Rome, Roman, Culture of Egypt, Egyptian, Chinese culture, Chinese, Taoism, Taoist, Hindus, Hindu, and Buddhism, Buddhist cultures and their related belief systems, primarily regarding the interaction among thought, belief, consciousness in the human mind, and the effects of these within and beyond the human mind. Though no direct line of transmission is traceable, many adherents to New Thought in the 19th and 20th centuries claimed to be direct descendants of those systems. Although there have been many leaders and various offshoots of the New Thought philosophy, the History of New Thought, origins of New Thought have often been traced back to Phineas Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1917 Non-fiction Books
Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's Desert Column. * January 10 – Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition: Seven survivors of the Ross Sea party are rescued after being stranded for several months. * January 11 – Unknown saboteurs set off the Kingsland Explosion at Kingsland (modern-day Lyndhurst, New Jersey), one of the events leading to United States involvement in WWI. * January 16 – The Danish West Indies is sold to the United States for $25 million (equivalent to $ million in ). * January 22 – WWI: United States President Woodrow Wilson calls for "peace without victory" in Germany. * January 25 – WWI: British armed merchantman is sunk by mines off Lough Swilly (Ireland), with the loss of 354 of the 475 aboard. * January 26 – The se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana University and its largest campus, with over 48,000 students. Established as the state's seminary in 1820, the name was changed to "Indiana College" in 1829 and to "Indiana University" in 1838. Indiana University is a member of the Association of American Universities and is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". Its schools and programs include the Jacobs School of Music, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University School of Education, School of Education, Indiana University School of Informatics, Luddy School of Informatics, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, School of Pu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sinclair Lewis
Harry Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 – January 10, 1951) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. In 1930 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1930, he became the first author from the United States (and the first from the Americas) to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, which was awarded "for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters." Lewis wrote six popular novels: ''Main Street (novel), Main Street'' (1920), ''Babbitt (novel), Babbitt'' (1922), ''Arrowsmith (novel), Arrowsmith'' (1925), ''Elmer Gantry'' (1927), ''Dodsworth (novel), Dodsworth'' (1929), and ''It Can't Happen Here'' (1935). Several of his notable works were critical of American capitalism and economic materialism, materialism during the interwar period. Lewis is respected for his strong characterizations of modern working women. H. L. Mencken wrote of him, "[If] there was ever a novelist among us with an authentic call to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elmer Gantry
''Elmer Gantry'' is a 1927 satirical novel written by Sinclair Lewis that presents aspects of the religious activity of the United States in fundamentalist and evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s public toward it. Reverend Dr. Elmer Gantry, the protagonist, is attracted by drinking, chasing women, and making easy money (although eventually renouncing tobacco and alcohol). In the novel's fictional world, after various forays into smaller fringe churches, Gantry becomes a major moral and political force in the Methodist Church despite his hypocrisy and serial sexual indiscretions. ''Elmer Gantry'' was published in the United States by Harcourt Trade Publishers in March 1927, dedicated by Lewis to the American journalist and satirist H. L. Mencken. Background Biographer Mark Schorer states that while researching the book, Lewis attended two or three church services every Sunday while in Kansas City, and that, "He took advantage of every possible tangential expe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Morss Lovett
Robert Morss Lovett (December 25, 1870 – February 8, 1956) was an American academic, writer, editor, political activist, and government official. Background Lovett was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard University in 1892. While a student at Harvard, he joined Delta Upsilon fraternity. Career After a period teaching at Harvard, Lovett came to Chicago in 1893 to teach writing and English literature at the University of Chicago. He was assistant professor of English (1894–1904); associate professor from 1904 to 1909; and full professor from 1909 onward. From 1903 to 1920 he was dean (education), dean in the junior college. He was a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters. Professor Lovett was the author of ''The History of English Literature'', with W. V. Moody (1902); ''Richard Gresham'', a novel (1904); ''The First View of English Literature'', with William Vaughn Moody, W. V. Moody (1905); ''A Winged Victory'', a novel (1907); and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christian Science
Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices which are associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally known as the Christian Science church. It was founded in 1879 in New England by Mary Baker Eddy, who wrote the 1875 book '' Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures'', which outlined the theology of Christian Science. The book was originally called ''Science and Health''; the subtitle ''with a Key to the Scriptures'' was added in 1883 and later amended to ''with Key to the Scriptures''. The book became Christian Science's central text, along with the Bible, and by 2001 had sold over nine million copies. Eddy and 26 followers were granted a charter by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1879 to found the "Church of Christ (Scientist)"; the church would be reorganized under the name "Church of Christ, Scientist" in 1892. '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Magic
Black magic (Middle English: ''nigromancy''), sometimes dark magic, traditionally refers to the use of Magic (paranormal), magic or supernatural powers for evil and selfish purposes. The links and interaction between black magic and religion are many and varied. Beyond black magic's historical persecution by Christianity and its inquisitions, there are links between religious and black magic rituals. For example, 17th-century priest Étienne Guibourg is said to have performed a series of Black Mass rituals with alleged witch La Voisin, Catherine Monvoisin for Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan, Madame de Montespan. During his period of scholarship, A. E. Waite provided a comprehensive account of black magic practices, rituals and traditions in ''The Book of Ceremonial Magic'' (1911). The influence of popular culture has allowed other practices to be drawn in under the broad banner of black magic, including the concept of Satanism. While the invoca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mazdaznan
Mazdaznan is a neo-Zoroastrian new religious movement which held that the Earth should be restored to a garden where humanity can cooperate and converse with God. Founded at the end of the 19th century by Otoman Zar-Adusht Ha'nish, born Otto Hanisch, the religion was a revival of 6th century Mazdakism. Adherents maintained a vegetarian diet and practiced breathing exercises. Concerned with the nature of thought, emotion and behavior, Mazdaznan taught that the practical aspects of personal health could be achieved through conscious breathing, "Gah-Llama". The word ''Mazdaznan'' is said to derive from the Persian "Mazda" and "Znan", and is supposed to mean "master thought". Mazdaznan Philosophy In 1902 the Rev. Dr. Zar-Adusht-Hanish promoted his philosophy and lessons in a monthly journal called "Sun-Worshiper" supported by health related advertisers in the Chicago area. In the February 1902 edition this "Mazdaznan Philosophy, and its Practicability to Every day Life" is listed. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Koreshanity
Koreshanity is the set of religious pseudoscience, pseudoscientific beliefs put forth by Cyrus Teed (also known as Koresh). Followers of this belief were called "Koreshans", and most of them formed a utopian communal society called the Koreshan Unity. Main beliefs The main beliefs of Koreshanity, or ''Koreshan Universalogy'', are put forth in the many writings of Cyrus Teed and his followers. They are: * ''Cellular Cosmogony'', which is Teed's unique form of Hollow Earth theory which puts forth the idea that the Earth and universe are contained within a concave sphere, or 'cell'. The Koreshans even conducted several experiments, similar to those conducted by believers in a Flat Earth. The most well known was conducted on the beach of Naples, Florida (the Koreshan Geodetic Survey of 1897), a town south of the Koreshan Unity commune at Estero, Florida. Here is the description of the earth from ''Cellular Cosmogony'': The sun is an invisible Electromagnetism, electromagnetic ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holy Roller
Holy Roller or Holy Jumper are terms originating in the 19th century and used to refer to some Protestant Christian churchgoers in the Wesleyan-Holiness movement, such as Free Methodists and Wesleyan Methodists. The term describes dancing, shaking or other boisterous movements by church attendees who perceive themselves as being under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Holy Rolling is sometimes used derisively by those outside these denominations, as if to describe people literally rolling on the floor in an uncontrolled manner. Those within related Wesleyan traditions have reclaimed the term as a badge of honor. Occasionally, they have been referred to as followers of the "pokeweed gospel" or members of the "lightning bug church." Description ''Holy Roller'' refers to Protestant Christian churchgoers in the holiness movement, such as Free Methodists and Wesleyan Methodists. Holy Rolling is sometimes used derisively by those outside these denominations, as if to describe peo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
