Ernest Holmes Founder of a movement called "Religious Science" or "Science of Mind", which is part of the "New Thought" movement Date of Birth: 21.01.1887 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Discovering Metaphysics
3. Founding Religious Science
4. United Church of Religious Science

Early Life and Education

Ernest Holmes, the founder of the "Religious Science" or "Science of Mind" movement, was born on a small farm in Maine, USA, on January 21, 1887. The youngest of nine sons, Holmes received his early education in local schools. He later remarked, "I left school when I was about 15 and never went back, except for the study of public speaking."

Discovering Metaphysics

At the age of 18, Holmes moved to Boston where he worked as a clerk in a store. It was there that he discovered the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, later stating, "Emerson's writings were like a drink of water to me. I have been a student of Emerson all my life." His further exploration of metaphysics led him to the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science. In 1914, he moved to Venice, California, where he studied the works of Thomas Troward, Christian Larson, and others.

Founding Religious Science

Holmes began lecturing on Troward's teachings almost by chance, initially speaking to a small group that gradually grew larger. He later became ordained in the Church of Divine Science as his audience expanded to thousands. In 1919, Holmes published his first book, "Creative Mind," which was quickly followed by "Creative Mind and Success." He continued his research and expanded his speaking engagements, writing his magnum opus, "The Science of Mind," which would become the philosophical "textbook" of Religious Science. First published in 1922 and revised in 1926, "The Science of Mind" has been translated into multiple languages worldwide.

United Church of Religious Science

On October 23, 1927, Holmes married Hazel Foster, who became his inseparable partner for thirty years. Earlier that year, he founded the Institute of Religious Science and School of Philosophy. The Institute became the Church of Religious Science in 1953. In 1967, the church took its current name, the United Church of Religious Science, with branches across the globe. Ernest Holmes passed away on April 7, 1960, leaving no children, but an enduring legacy in the form of his life's work: Religious Science.