International Association for the Preservation of Spiritualist and Occult Periodicals
Periodical:Unity
Unity: cover of an issue
Summary:
Summary by:
Pat Deveney
Title:
Unity.
Subtitle:
Be Still and Know that I am God / You Shall Know the Truth and the Truth Shall Make You Free
Other Titles:
Unity Magazine
Published:
1891
Frequency:
Semimonthly, then monthly
Location:
Kansas City, then Lees Summit, MO.
Language:
English.
Editor(s):
Charles Fillmore (1854-1948), Myrtle Page Fillmore ( -1931).
Publisher(s):
Unity Tract Society / Unity School of Christianity.
Corporate Author:
Society of Silent Help / Society of Silent Unity / Unity School of Christianity1/1, June 1891-current.
Succession:
Succeeds: Modern Thought-->Christian Science Thought-->Thought (merged into Unity in 1895); , and New Magazine (merged into Unity in 1972)
Description:

This is one of the fundamentally important New Thought journals. It was originally published June-December, 1891 as a cheaper companion to Modern Thought, devoted to Silent Unity. It was then discontinued until re-started in 1895 to absorb Modern Thought and its successors, assuming the latter journal's volume numbering. This is the longest-lived New Thought journal. J.W. Teener's dissertation on "The Unity School of Christianity" (University of Chicago, 1939) says that it reached a circulation of 148,000 by 1928, and then fell steadily thereafter. The winged globe that appeared on the cover of the journal from the first issue was taken by Charles Fillmore from F.B. Dowd's Temple of the Rosy Cross (1882; 2d ed. 1888). The journal was strongly Christian and Biblical in its presentation but rested on the fundamental propositions that God is good and within each of us and desires to assist if asked. The journal regularly carried page-sized notices in bold colors with aspirations, inspiring thoughts, suggestions to the inner self, and the like, to be placed prominently about the home. Although the journal had contributions by Horatio W. Dresser, H. Emilie Cady, Annie Rix Militz, Walter de Voe, and others, it was largely written by Fillmore and the graduates and ordained ministers of Unity. In his later years, in connection with his views on the role of sexuality in spiritual and psychical development (the "regenerate life"), Fillmore came to espouse the idea of physical immortality. The journal advertised extensively for Fillmore's books, pamphlets and courses, but managed to avoid the commercialism that affected most contemporary journals. For Fillmore and his ideas, see the note under Modern Thought. See also the notes under , Wee Wisdom, Daily Word. NYPL; Unity School of Christianity; Kansas City Public Library.

Title:
Modern Thought.
Subtitle:
Devoted to the Spiritualization of Humanity from an Independent Viewpoint.
Published:
1889-1890
Frequency:
Bimonthly, monthly
Location:
Kansas City, MO.
Editor(s):
Charles Fillmore, then with Myrtle Page Fillmore.
Publisher(s):
Modern Thought Publishing Company.
Succession:
Succeeded by: Christian Science Thought-->Thought-->Unity
Description:

1/1, April 1889-March 1890. For postal reasons, the journal's subscription was set at $1.00, but copies were mailed free to all who were interested.

The first issue proclaimed its intent to mail 10,000 copies of the second number. This was the beginning of Unity (The Unity School of Practical Christianity / Unity School of Christianity), which has endured until the present. It was founded by Charles Fillmore (1854-1948) and his wife, Myrtle Page Fillmore ( -1931). The Fillmores were adherents of the optimistic, energetic school of New Thought, but in their beginnings were closer to the "metaphysical healing" ideas of Christian Science although they were never students or adherents of Mary Baker Eddy. Their initiation into New Thought came through Emma Curtis Hopkins' Christian Science Theological Seminary in Chicago. Horatio Dresser, in his history of New Thought, lists the Fillmores, along with Eddy, among the "subjective idealists" who taught that the mind was the only reality. The journal in its early days, like many of its contemporaries, displayed the influence of spiritualism. Theosophy, and occultism--featuring in its first year an article by Freeman B. Dowd, and adopting for its masthead Dowd's (and P.B. Randolph's) emblem of the winged globe. The issue also carried Hiram Erastus Butler's article on "Developing Psychic Powers." It is often said that W.W. Atkinson published his first work in the journal but the claim is wrong. The Unity School of Christianity published Christian Science Thought-->Thought-->Unity; Wee Wisdom; ; Christian Business Man-->Business Man-->Good Business-->New; Youth-->Progress-->You-->Progress; Daily Word; and Unity School Leaflets. The Fillmores' work and journals were astonishingly influential, and many of their enterprises (publishing and book distribution, Unity Farm, Unity School, the Unity Farm, etc.) endure today.

Other Sources:Unity Library and Archive, Unity Village, MO.
Issues:Unity V12 Jul 1899-Dec 1900
Unity V13 Jul-Dec 1900
Unity V14 Jan-Jun 1901
Unity V16 Jan-Jun 1902
Unity V17 Jul-Dec 1902
Unity V18 Jan-Jun 1903
Unity V19 N1 Jul 1903
Unity V20 Jan-Jun 1904
Unity V21 Jul-Dec 1904
Unity V22 Jan-Jun 1905
Unity V23 Jul-Dec 1905
Unity V24 Jan-Jun 1906
Unity V25 Jul-Dec 1906
Unity V26 Jan-Jun 1907
Unity V27 Jul-Dec 1907
Unity V28 Jan-Dec 1908
Unity V29 Jul-Dec 1908
Unity V30 Jan-Jun 1909
Unity V31 Jul-Dec 1909
Unity V32 Jan-Jun 1910
Unity V33 Jul-Dec 1910
Unity V35 Jul-Dec 1911
Unity V36 Jan-Jun 1912
Unity V37 Jul-Dec 1912
Unity V38 Jan-Jun 1913
Unity V39 Jul-Dec 1913
Unity V39 Jan-Jun 1914
Unity V41 Jul-Dec 1914
Unity V42 Jan-Jun 1915
Unity V43 Jul-Dec 1915
Unity V44 Jan-Jun 1916
Unity V45 Jul-Dec 1916
Unity V46 Jan-Jun 1917
Unity V47 Jul-Dec 1917
Unity V48 Jan-Jun 1918
Unity V49 Jul-Dec 1918
Unity V50 Jan-Jun 1919
Unity V51 Jul-Dec 1919
Unity V52 Jan-Jun 1920
Unity V53 Jul-Dec 1920