Ernest Holmes

Ernest Holmes was an American religious leader who founded Religious Science in the United States. He was influenced by New Thought teachings, which emphasize the mind's power for healing and fulfillment. Holmes's major work, The Science of Mind, was published in 1926, and he established the Institute of Religious Science and Philosophy in Los Angeles in 1927 to teach his principles. Religious Science is monistic, believing the individual mind is an expression of Universal Mind and that the universe is its manifestation. It teaches that humans are fundamentally good and that apparent evil stems from ignorance of one's divine identity. Through "spiritual mind treatment," individuals can access infinite resources by working with creative faith and knowledge of their identity with the infinite. This practice is used for healing and is called a "demonstration." Religious Science trains ministers and practitioners to provide these treatments, and services are generally similar to Protestant churches but with an optimistic tone.1