Ralph Waldo Trine (9 September 1866 – 22 February 1958) was an American

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 ...

writer, philosopher and

animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...

activist.

Biography

Trine was born in Mount Morris, Illinois to Ellen E. Newcomer and Samuel G. Trine.Melton, J. Gordon (1999)
"Religious Leaders of America"
The Gale Group. p. 574 He was educated at Knox College where he graduated A.B. in 1891. He studied history and political science at

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

and obtained his A.M. from Knox College in 1893. Trine married Grace Steele Hyde and they had one son.Bateman, Newton (1909)
"Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois"
Chicago: Munsell Publishing Company. p. 1041 As a young man he worked as a correspondent for the '' Boston Evening Transcript''. During this time he became influenced by the idealistic philosophy of

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionism, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalism, Transcendentalist movement of th ...

. Trine was also influenced by George Herron's Christian socialism. Trine's spiritual views have been described as being a mixture of Buddhism,

pantheism Pantheism can refer to a number of philosophical and religious beliefs, such as the belief that the universe is God, or panentheism, the belief in a non-corporeal divine intelligence or God out of which the universe arisesAnn Thomson; Bodies ...

, spiritualism,

transcendentalism Transcendentalism is a philosophical, spiritual, and literary movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in the New England region of the United States. "Transcendentalism is an American literary, political, and philosophical movement of ...

, Christian socialism, and

neo-Vedanta Neo-Vedanta, also called neo-Hinduism, Hindu modernism, Global Hinduism and Hindu Universalism, are terms to characterize interpretations of Hinduism that developed in the 19th century. The term "Neo-Vedanta" was coined by German Indologist ...

philosophy. Trine authored ''In Tune with the Infinite'' which has remained the most popular publication in the New Thought movement. Translated into 20 languages, the book articulates Trine's belief that aligning oneself with the universal spirit, or infinite life, can lead to inner peace, health, and success. He emphasized the transformative power of positive thinking, faith, and moral character over material ambition. Unlike most other New Thought writers, Trine did not resort to mental money making advice and has been described as "one of the rare purists whose books were guileless optimism". In the 1920s, Trine became associated with

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American Technological and industrial history of the United States, industrialist and business magnate. As the founder of the Ford Motor Company, he is credited as a pioneer in making automob ...

and published some of their conversations in ''The Power that Wins,'' illustrating how his ideas resonated with influential public figures. Trine lived and worked on a fruit farm in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

Animal welfare

Trine was a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

for ethical reasons and supported animal welfare.Helstosky, Carol (2014). ''The Routledge History of Food''. Taylor & Francis. p. 186. His book ''Every Living Creature'' called for kindness to animals and advocated a vegetarian diet. He was the director of the American Humane Education Society and the

Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell Animal Medical Center (MSPCA-Angell) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with its main headquarters on South Huntington Avenue in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Bo ...

Selected publications

''In Tune with the Infinite''
T. Y. Crowell & Company, 1897
''Every Living Creature''
T. Y. Crowell & Company, 1899
''The Greatest Thing Ever Known''
T. Y. Crowell & Company, 1898 *''In the Fire of the Heart'', McClure, Philips & Co, 1906 *''The Wayfarer On The Open Road'', George Bell and Sons, 1908
''My Philosophy and My Religion''
Dodd, Mead & Company, 1921 *''The Power that Wins'', The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1929

In Tune With The Infinite

In ''In Tune With The Infinite,'' Trine's core beliefs are clearly expressed. One of his central ideas is that the most important fact of human life is coming into a conscious and vital realization of one's oneness with Infinite Life, and opening oneself to this divine inflow. Instead of promoting material success, Trine focused on cultivating moral character and inner harmony. For him, success came not from striving for wealth, but from living in accordance with divine order. Trine argued that the mind held the real power: by thinking positively and harmonizing one's thoughts with the Infinite, individuals could transform both their inner life and external circumstances. Trine's work is deeply invested in mind-body connections, arguing that physical health can even be achieved through spiritual alignment and mental clarity. Within the text, Trine articulates that access to divine truth is available to all, not solely religious elites. In this manner, he mad spiritual insight apart of everyday life. Scholars have noted the that the power of ''In Tune With The Infinite'' lies within its optimistic, emotionally edifying vision of life. His idealism is described as vague yet appealing, offering spiritual comfort.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trine, Ralph Waldo 1866 births 1958 deaths 20th-century American philosophers American animal welfare workers American self-help writers American vegetarianism activists Boston Evening Transcript people Idealists Johns Hopkins University alumni Knox College (Illinois) alumni New Thought writers People from Mount Morris, Illinois