Spiritualism is a religious movement based on communication
with the spirits of the dead that originated in New York State in
1848. From its inception, members of the movement claimed that communication
with the spirits of the dead was not only a possibility, but was in
fact "scientifically" verifiable. Attempts were made throughout
the nineteenth century to establish the "truth" of Spiritualist
claims to scientific legitimacy. Although there are no longer any
overt connections between Spiritualism and the scientific establishment,
contemporary Spiritualists continue to insist that their beliefs are
in accord with "science." Drawing upon fieldwork with contemporary
Spiritualists in Hamilton, Ontario and Lily Dale, New York, this dissertation
argues that scientific language and symbols have been incorporated
into contemporary Spiritualist discourse to articulate and legitimate
the claim that Spiritualist experiences are "true" in a
"scientific," empirical sense.
An examination of Spiritualist healing, mediumship
and narrative practice reveals the extent to which the discourse of
"science" has become the means by which the "reality"
and "truth" of Spiritualist beliefs are affirmed. In articulating
the "truth" of Spiritualist experience and the "reality"
of the spirit hypothesis, the language and symbols of science are
transformed into a sacred discourse that at once legitimates and affirms
Spiritualist beliefs while simultaneously criticizing the "narrow"
limits of orthodox science. For many contemporary Spiritualists, "science"
has become the language in which religious truth claims are expressed.
McMaster University
May 1995
Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy
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