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7 reviews for:
Radical Spirits, Second Edition: Spiritualism and Women's Rights in Nineteenth-Century America
Ann Braude
3.93 AVERAGE
7 reviews for:
Radical Spirits, Second Edition: Spiritualism and Women's Rights in Nineteenth-Century America
Ann Braude
3.93 AVERAGE
A very interesting topic that I enjoyed learning about but the book itself was a bit too dense for me at times. Would have loved a shorter version.
As I read for my thesis, I become more and more interested in the Spiritualist movement and how it related to the early women’s rights movement. This book gave me the rudimentary background I needed on the history of Spiritualism in general and made me realize that there was a huge gap in my knowledge of this topic. I had no idea that Spiritualism arose from the Quakers or the basic individualist tenets behind it, nor that the movement wasn’t solely comprised of “dark circles” and spirit manifestations in private homes– that it actually provided a platform for women to deliver public speeches on a large scale for the first time in American history.
To read the rest of this review, visit the Macabre Librarian:
https://macabrelibrarian.wordpress.com/2018/08/24/review-radical-spirits-spiritualism-and-womens-rights-in-nineteenth-century-america/
To read the rest of this review, visit the Macabre Librarian:
https://macabrelibrarian.wordpress.com/2018/08/24/review-radical-spirits-spiritualism-and-womens-rights-in-nineteenth-century-america/
Ann Braude describes the birth and development of the Spiritualist movement and its connection to the women's rights movement. Women had long been assumed as having a closer connection to God than men, and many women saw the Spiritualist movement as a way to exploit that in order to gain leadership and a voice. It's beginning coincides with the women's rights movement in 1848 and spread at the same rate. Spiritualism was a response to the mid-century "crisis of faith" (4). They used a connection to science as a way to bolster the movement. They were anti-organzation (due to their individualistic bent) and it is difficult to nail down stats of membership as a result, however they were keen on publishing. They were closely connected to Quakers for a time due to the Quaker understanding of the "inner light" found in everybody. Because this movement was often practiced within the home, it elevated the status of domesticity. Many upper class members participated, but the spirit world was not a respector of class. Despite its connection with African spiritism, the group focused on women's rights not abolition. Because death usually occurred at home in the women's sphere, it was a natural transition for them to communicate with the dead. The movement was ultimately unhinged by its mixed messages about women's strength and weaknesses (physically) and its internal disagreement about creating a formal organization. The ultimate challenge came in the form of Christian Science.
informative
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced