Harriet Emilie Cady (July 12, 1848 – January 3, 1941) was an American homeopathic physician and author of New Thought spiritual writings.[1] Her 1896 book Lessons in Truth: A Course of Twelve Lessons in Practical Christianity is now considered one of the core texts on Unity Church teachings.[2] It has sold over 1.6 million copies since its first publication.[1]

H. Emilie Cady
Born
Harriet Emilie Cady

(1848-07-12)July 12, 1848
DiedJanuary 3, 1941(1941-01-03) (aged 92)
NationalityUSA
Occupation(s)Physician, author
Parent(s)Oliver Barlow Cady
Cornelia A. Philips

Biography

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She was born on July 12, 1848, in Dryden, New York, to Oliver Barlow Cady and Cornelia A. (Philips) Cady.[3]

Her first job was as a schoolteacher in a one-room schoolhouse in her hometown. In the late 1860s, she decided to pursue the field of medicine, and enrolled in the Homeopathic Medical College of the State of New York[4] She graduated in 1871 and became one of the first woman physicians in America.[5]

Spiritual development and writing career

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Introduced to the teachings of Albert Benjamin Simpson, Cady became deeply involved in spiritual and metaphysical studies. She was inspired and influenced by Biblical teachings and the philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson. She was taught by Emma Curtis Hopkins, the New Thought "teacher of teachers"[6] and a student of Christian Science and Mary Baker Eddy.

Cady associated with several prominent figures in the New Thought movement of the time, including: Emma Curtis Hopkins, Divine Science minister Emmet Fox, Ernest Holmes, founder of Religious Science, and Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, co-founders of Unity Church.[2] Finding The Christ in Ourselves, a pamphlet she had written and sent unsolicited to Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, was published by them in the October 1891 issue of Thought.[1] Beginning in 1892, a series of articles titled "Lessons in Truth" by Dr. Cady were published in Unity magazine. This material later was compiled into a book and was among the first books Unity published.[7]

Death

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Cady died January 3, 1941, in Manhattan, New York City, aged 92.[8]

Published works

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  • Lessons in Truth: A Course of Twelve Lessons in Practical Christianity. (Unity Magazine articles 1894-5, collected 1896); ISBN 1-4515-9726-6
  • How I Used Truth. (1916); ISBN 1-5960-5538-3 (Formerly published as Miscellaneous Writings, retitled in 1939; revised 1986)
  • God, A Present Help. (1908); ISBN 0-8715-9044-1
  • Complete Works of H. Emilie Cady. Edited by Michael A. Maday. Introduction by Russell H. Kemp (1975). Afterword by Ernest C. Wilson (1979). Unity Village, MO: Unity House, 1995; ISBN 0871592894.[9]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Vahle (2002), p. 71
  2. ^ a b Wilson, Ernest C. (1979). "Dr. H. Emilie Cady, Author with Authority". Unity Magazine: 4–9.
  3. ^ Kumar, Lisa, ed. (June 2004). Contemporary Authors. Volume 221. Thomson Gale; Gale Group (Creator). ISBN 0-7876-6701-3.
  4. ^ Pomeroy, Ella (1946). "From Medicine to Metaphysics". New Thought Bulletin: 3–5.
  5. ^ Religious Leaders of America, 2nd ed. Gale Group, 1999.
  6. ^ Mosley, Glenn (2006) New Thought, Ancient Wisdom, Temple Foundation Press, p. 9.
  7. ^ "About Unity Books". www.unity.org. Unity Church. Retrieved February 25, 2024. Unity has been publishing books since 1903 ... The magazines led Unity into books. A 12-part magazine series by H. Emilie Cady was compiled into a book called Lessons in Truth, a bestseller since 1903 that remains foundational to Unity teachings.
  8. ^ "Dr. H. Emilie Cady. She Was a Retired Physician and Writer. Dies Here at 92". New York Times. January 4, 1941. Retrieved 2012-09-19. Emilie Cady, retired physician, died yesterday at her home, 420 West Street, after an illness of six months. She was 92 years old. Born in Dryden, NY, Dr. Cady ...
  9. ^ Source: WorldCat
    "Cady, H. Emilie, 1848-1941". worldcat.org.

References

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