The National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC) is one of the oldest and largest of the national Spiritualist church organizations in the United States. The NSAC was formed as the National Spiritualist Association of the United States of America (NSA) in September 1893, during a three-day convention in Chicago, Illinois. Although American Spiritualists had previously tended to resist institutional or denominational organization, early NSA leaders hoped organization would help promote the truths of the religion both spiritually and practically.Cora L. V. Richmond in Proceedings of the National Delegate Convention of Spiritualists of the United States: Held in Chicago, Illinois, September 27, 28, and 29, 1893 (Washington, D. C.: Stormont & Jackson, Printers, 1896), 10; Ann Braude, Radical Spirits: Spiritualism and Women's Rights in Nineteenth-Century America, 1st ed. (Boston: Beacon Press, 1989), 165; E. J. Bowtell, 'Spiritualism and Nationalism,' Banner of Light 71, no. 7 (23 April 1892); 'Spiritualistic Meetings,' Boston Daily Globe, 30 September 1894, 14; R. Laurence Moore, In Search of White Crows: Spiritualism, Parapsychology, and American Culture (New York: Oxford University Press, 1977), 10. Organization could help non-Spiritualists distinguish genuine mediumship from the rapidly proliferating varieties of fraudulent mediumship, increase communication among Spiritualists, prevent the legal prosecution of spirit mediums under fortune telling and medical licensing laws, and counterattacks by "orthodox" ministers in the press. To these reasons, early leaders added the material support of spirit mediums and healers, just as other religious groups provided for the support of their clergy.
Among the NSA's first leaders were W. H. Bach, Harrison D. Barrett (former Unitarian clergymen), Luther V. Moulton, James Martin Peebles, and Cora L. V. Scott (spiritualist medium).Association, National Spiritualist. Spiritualist Manual. 7th ed. Chicago: Printing Products Corporation, 1944; Joseph Osgood Barrett, "Spiritual Pilgrim: a Biography of James M. Peebles." Boston: William White and Company, 1872, 44. The association is also important for its adoption of a number of statements on spiritualism which have become a standard to which other Spiritualist bodies more or less adhere.National Spiritualist Association. Spiritualist Manual. 9th ed. (Chicago: Printing Products Corporation, 1955) 34.
Declaration of Principles In 1899, a six-article "Declaration of Principles" was adopted by many Spiritualist groups.Marilyn Awtry. The History of the National Spiritualist Association of Churches. (Cassadaga, Fla.: National Spiritualist Association of Churches, 1983), 14-19. Three other articles were added at a later date. By no means do all Spiritualist denominations or individual churches affirm these principles, but because of their historical significance in setting the beliefs of modern Spiritualism, all nine articles are quoted in full below. The influence of Unitarianism is obvious in the definition of God in principle one.
We believe in Infinite Intelligence; We believe that the phenomena of Nature, both physical and spiritual, are the expression of Infinite Intelligence; We affirm that a correct understanding of such expression and living in accordance therewith constitute true religion; We affirm that the existence and personal identity of the individual continue after the change called death; We affirm that communication with the so-called dead is a fact, scientifically proven by the phenomena of Spiritualism; We believe that the highest morality is contained in the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Principles 1–6 adopted in Chicago, Illinois, 1899. Principle 6 revised in Ronkonkorma, New York, 2004.)Awtry (1983), 14; "NSAC 2004 Convention Bylaw Changes," The National Spiritualist Summit, No. 954 (February 2005) p32. We affirm the moral responsibility of the individual, and that we make our own happiness or unhappiness as we obey or disobey Nature's physical and spiritual laws; We affirm that the doorway to reformation is never closed against any soul here or hereafter; (Principles 7–8 adopted in Rochester, New York, 1909 and revised in Rochester, New York, 2001.Awtry (1983), 17; "Bylaw Amendments Adopted at 2001 Convention," The National Spiritualist Summit, No. 906, February 2001, 25. We affirm that the precept of Prophecy and Healing are Divine attributes proven through Mediumship. (Principle 9 adopted in St. Louis, Missouri, 1944, revised in Oklahoma City, 1983 and in Westfield, New Jersey, 1998.Awtry (1983), 18-19. Definitions Over the years, other statements have been adopted on "What Spiritualism Is and Does" and "Spiritual Healing." A set of "Definitions" has also been approved. The two issues of "reincarnation" and the relation of Spiritualism to Christianity have been the major questions dividing Spiritualists. Differing answers to these two questions have split the NSAC on several occasions, and dissent led independent Spiritualists to form their own organizations instead of joining the NSAC. These were adopted in October 1914, 1919, 1930, 1950 during the organization's annual convention.For the history of the definitions and their adoption at NSAC conventions, see Awtry (1983), 25-29 Spiritualism is the Science, Philosophy and Religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the Spirit World. (1919) Spiritualism Is a Science Because it investigates, analyzes and classifies facts and manifestations demonstrated from the spirit side of life. Spiritualism Is a Philosophy because it studies the Laws of Nature both on the seen and unseen sides of life and bases its conclusions upon present observed facts. It accepts statements of observed facts of past ages and conclusions drawn therefrom, when sustained by reason and by results of observed facts of the present day. Spiritualism Is a Religion because it strives to understand and to comply with the Physical, Mental and Spiritual Laws of Nature, which are the laws of God. A Spiritualist is one who believes, as the basis of his or her religion, in the communication between this and the Spirit World by means of mediumship and who endeavors to mould his or her character and conduct in accordance with the highest teachings derived from such communication. (1914, Rev. 1938) A Medium is one whose organism is sensitive to vibrations from the spirit world and through whose instrumentality, intelligences in that world are able to convey messages and produce the phenomena of Spiritualism. (1914) A Spiritualist Healer is one who, either through one's own inherent powers or through mediumship, is able to impart vital, curative force to pathologic conditions. (1930, 1993) The Phenomena of Spiritualism consists of Prophecy, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Gift of Tongues, Laying on of Hands, Healing, Visions, Trance, Apports, Levitation, Raps, Automatic and Independent Writings and Paintings, Voice, Materialization, Photography, Psychometry and any other manifestation proving the continuity of life as demonstrated through the Physical and Spiritual senses and faculties of man. (1950)
Reincarnation Reincarnation is the belief that spirits or souls are caught in a cycle of death and rebirth, being born into new bodies in each new life until they are freed from this cycle by some means. Reincarnation has been a disputed doctrine within the American Spiritualist movement from its very early years, although debate around it increased significantly with the publication of spiritist Allan Kardec's The Spirits Book and with the rise of Theosophy in the late 1800s.Much has been written about this topic, but for a general overview, see Frank Podmore, Modern Spiritualism: A History and a Criticism, 2 vols. (1902), reprinted as Mediums of the Nineteenth Century (New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1963); Catherine Albanese, A Republic of Mind and Spirit (New Haven, Ct.: Yale University Press, 2007), 480-481; Allan Kardec, Spiritualist Philosophy: The Spirits’ Book; Containing the Principles of Spiritist Doctrine . . . according to the Teachings of Spirits of High Degree, Transmitted through Various Mediums (Boston: Colby and Rich, 1875); C. F. Leadbetter, An Outline of Theosophy, 2nd ed. (Chicago: Theosophical Book Concern, 1903); Mary Roach, "You Again: A Visit to the Reincarnation Nation," Six Feet Over: Science Tackles the Afterlife (W. W. Norton & Company, 2022).
Spiritualists have given multiple reasons for opposing or promoting the idea of reincarnation. Some have argued that the soul's ability to progress to higher states rests both in its immortality and its ability to gain experience and knowledge across multiple lives. "The experience of life is the food on which the soul grows," wrote Theosophist L. W. Rogers in 1917.L. W. Rogers, Elementary Theosophy (Los Angeles: Theosophical Book Concern, 1917) p. 116.. Others pointed to the curious phenomena of young children recounting experiences from past-lives, or the appearance of birthmarks or other unusual features that correspond with marks or injuries on their alleged previous bodies.These and other arguments can be found throughout the literature on reincarnation. See Lynn Kear's bibliography for 1612 books on related subjects; Reincarnation: A Selected Annotated Bibliography (Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1996). See also, Ian Stevenson, Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect (Westport CT: Praeger, 1997) and William Walker Atkinson, Reincarnation and the Law of Karma (Chicago: Yogi Publication Society, 1908).
Some early Spiritualist thinkers, such as Andrew Jackson Davis, opposed reincarnation because they saw it as inconsistent with natural law. To Davis, natural law keeps the world in an active state of continual refinement and progression toward higher and more complex forms.Andrew Jackson Davis, The Principles of Nature, Her Divine Revelations, A Voice To Mankind (New York: S. S. Lyon and Wm. Fishbough, 1847), 43-60; W. M. Lockwood, Historical, Logical and Philosophical Objections to the Dogmas of Reincarnation and Re-Embodiment, (Chicago: Lockwood, 1895). He argued that each immortal soul has one individual identity that it creates in its time on earth and keeps as it progresses through the afterlife. This soul is also subject to natural law, which actively prompts its development toward higher spiritual states. Reincarnation, in this light, is inconsistent with natural law, because it would allow regression to a previous state (a life on earth) and it would force the soul to create additional identities, which it is not able to accommodate.
Other Spiritualists, while more open to the possibility of reincarnation, have simply objected to the teaching of reincarnation until it is able to be confirmed by scientific means. This latter argument was cited when delegates to the 1930 NSAC convention voted in a resolution that banned the teaching or promotion of the principle of reincarnation by NSAC members."National Association Convention," The National Spiritualist, 12:133, 1 November 1930, 4. The resolution did not settle the issue once and for all, but the official stance of the organization since at least 1996 has been less restrictive.It states that the "theory of reincarnation has not yet been satisfactorily proven, nor has it been satisfactorily disproven." Jean Kerr Lerch and Bernard F. Baker, "Reincarnation: 1996 NSAC Convention Report," The National Spiritualist Summit Magazine, (Nov/Dec 2016) 29 This means that chartered auxilaries are free to teach and discuss reincarnation and individual Spiritualists are free to make up their own mind on the subject. So, the validity of reincarnation is not maintained as fact from the podium, but it can be addressed in unofficial gatherings.
Christianity