Charles Brodie Patterson (1854–1917) was a Canadian expatriate

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 ...

publisher, author, and editor. Patterson, a Canadian expatriate who lived in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, was labelled the movement's leader when he died in the early 20th century.

Biography

Patterson was born in 1854 in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

. After graduating from the

Pictou Academy Pictou Academy (PA), founded in 1815 by Dr. Thomas McCulloch, is a secondary school in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Prior to the twentieth century, it was a grammar school; a liberal, nonsectarian degree-granting college; and then a secondary school. Picto ...

Pictou, Nova Scotia Pictou ( ; Canadian Gaelic: ''Baile Phiogto'' Miꞌkmawiꞌsimk: ''Piktuk'') is a town in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Pictou County, in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pict ...

, Patterson pursued mercantile activities. At 31, he moved to

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

for treatment from a mental healer. He studied at the Mental Science Institute in the city and attended the Alliance of Divine Unity. In 1888, Patterson established the Metaphysical Alliance of Hartford, and served as president until 1904. In 1893, he opened the Alliance Publishing Company in New York City. He published books by

and metaphysical authors including Horatio Dresser, Ursula Gestefeld, and Augustus Le Plongeon. He edited ''Mind Magazine'' and the ''Library of Health journal'', as well as ''Arena'', the most influential New Thought publication of its time. Among his books, he published: ''Library of Health'' (1900), ''Dominion and Power, or, The science of life and living'' (1901), ''The Will to be Well'' (1902), ''The Measure of a Man'' (1907), ''A New Heaven and a New Earth, or, The Way to Life Eternal (thought studies of the fourth dimension)'' (1909), and ''The rhythm of life'' (1915). In addition to serving as a past president of the International New Thought Alliance, Patterson was president of the International Metaphysical League from 1899 to 1903, and the later, the New Thought Federation. He died June 22, 1917, in New York City. Patterson was labelled the New Thought movement's leader upon his death.Mount, N.J. and Mount, N. (2005) ''When Canadian literature moved to New York.'' University of Toronto Press, 2005 . p 91.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, Charles B. 1854 births 1917 deaths Canadian magazine editors New Thought writers Canadian publishers (people) Canadian religious writers 19th-century Canadian non-fiction writers 20th-century Canadian non-fiction writers 20th-century Canadian male writers