Routledge Revivals
Spiritualism and Society
First published in 1969, this title explores the origins of Spiritualism as a religious movement. The first part is a history of Spiritualism, with a focus on its origins within America and the development of the organisation within itself. Next, Nelson considers the rise of Spiritualism in Britain, using evidence taken from contemporary journals, other publications and interviews. Finally, the Spiritualist movement is analysed in terms of sociological theory, looking at the Church and the definition of a Cult, as well as concepts of authority and leadership. This is a fascinating work, which will be of great interest to students researching the origins and development of the movement of Spiritualism and its relationship with society.
Spiritualism and Society
Geoffrey K. Nelson
First published in 1969
by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd
This edition first published in 2013 by Routledge
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1969 Geoffrey K. Nelson
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A Library of Congress record exists under LC control number: 72383628
ISBN 13: 978-0-415-71462-4 (hbk)
ISBN 13: 978-1-315-88253-6 (ebk)
SPIRITUALISM AND SOCIETY
by
GEOFFREY K. NELSON
First published in 1969
by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd
Broadway House, 6874 Carter Lane
London, E.C.4
Printed in Great Britain
by C. Tinling & Co. Ltd
Liverpool, London and Prescot
Geoffrey K. Nelson Ph.D. 1969
No part of this book may he reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except for the quotation of brief passages in criticism
SBN 7100 6252 4
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is based on two theses accepted by the University of London. The first part is based on a Masters thesis entitled The Origins of Modern Spiritualism in America and the second and third parts on a Doctoral thesis entitled The Organization and Development of the Spiritualist Movement in Britain.
I should like to acknowledge the advice I received from Professor Ronald Fletcher of the University of York and Dr David Martin of the London School of Economics. I should also like to acknowledge the help received from the librarians at the University of London Library and to the many members of the Spiritualist movement who have made me welcome in their groups.
My initial interest in Spiritualism took the form of a study of psychic phenomena, and out of this developed an interest in the origins of Spiritualism as a religious movement. The results of this study are reported in the first part of this book where I examine the social and religious factors in the rise of modern Spiritualism in America. The apparent contrast between the early and rapid success of the movement in America and the slow but perhaps steadier progress in Britain led to a study of the movement in this country.
In order to carry out this study I had to compile a history of the movement, since no such history existed. Some histories of Spiritualism had indeed been published, but these all concentrated on a study of the personalities and the activities of great mediums, and on the evolution of psychic phenomena, and no account had been written of the development of organization within the movement.
The second part of this book therefore consists of an account of the development and growth of the Spiritualist movement. This is based on contemporary journals and other publications. It is followed by an account of the structure of the movement and of its beliefs and practices in the nineteen-sixties, based on the published records and statements of the existing organizations, a study of the magazines and publications of the movement, and on information obtained through interviews and by the technique of participant observation. My observation has extended over a period of about fifteen years, mainly in London, the South and the Midlands.
In the third part of this book the Spiritualist movement is analyzed in terms of sociological theory.
The major problem that emerged from an examination of the historical evidence was the problem of explaining the continuance of a minimal form of organization in the movement. Spiritualists have indeed become more organized. At first only small groups meeting spontaneously and having no structure existed. These have developed into local churches, and local churches have come together into regional and national bodies, but in the Spiritualist movement the bodies above the level of the local church tend to have little power or authority. Further, the growth of institutionalization has not reduced the importance of the small group lacking organization and meeting in private houses. This form of grouping known as the Home Circle among spiritualists still forms the basis of Spiritualism. In brief, the problem sociologically is to explain why Spiritualism has remained a movement and not become an organization.
Could this be explained in terms of any existing sociological theory of religious organization? An examination of the Church-Sect typology in all its various forms reveals that Spiritualism does not fit into this typology. I have therefore suggested that the Spiritualist movement can only fit into such a typology if we extend and refine the definition of a Cult. The variation of organization and belief in the movement leads me to suggest that the cult itself may take several forms.
The analysis along a Church-Sect-Cult continuum is in fact simply classificatory. We are simply classifying the religious unit in terms of a structural scheme, which in fact we have had to extend and modify in order to accommodate it. Classification in terms of Church-Sect or Cult in fact explains nothing.
We therefore go on to a more fundamental analysis. It appears that there is a fear of institutionalization and a resistance to the growth of organization amongst spiritualists, and continuing groups seem to be democratically based and structured. It is postulated that fear of institutionalization arises because the movement is based on the charismatic powers of mediums, and that routinization and institutionalization are seen as restrictive of the spontaneous expression of the charisma of mediums. This belief may clearly lead to the autocratic dominance of the medium, but this has not happened in the majority sectors of the movement because spiritualists believe that all individuals are potentially mediums. In consequence of this belief it becomes necessary to treat all members as equal, and this can only be expressed in a democratic and voluntary form of organization.
