Calling itself a "metaphysical mecca," the small town of Cassadaga, between Orlando and Daytona Beach in central Florida, was established more than a century ago on the principle of continuous life, the idea that spirits of the dead commune with the living. Though the founders of Cassadaga have passed on to the "spirit plane," the quaint Victorian town remains the oldest continuously active Spiritualist center in the South and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. While the community has often been sensationalized and misrepresented, this is the first serious work to examine its history, people, cultural environment, and religious system.
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Consisting of seven chapters by various qualified scholars and observers, this book provides a fascinating look at Cassadaga, a Spiritualist community founded over a century ago just north of Orlando. Beginning with the early history of Spiritualism in America, the book describes the founding of Cassadaga and its on-going development, including its interaction with New Age spiritual ideas. The editors, professors of history, religious studies, and art, provide a good explanation of the Spiritualist belief system (which holds that the spirits of the dead interact with the living) and a detailed description of several healing services and spirit readings. They also probe the community's relationship with people from the surrounding area. A number of interviews with some long-term residents, a chapter on the community's distinctive architecture, a pictorial study, and an excellent bibliography enliven the book. This is an objective and readable description of a distinctive and largely unknown faith in American religion. Recommended for academic and public libraries.DC. Robert Nixon, M.L.S., Lafayette, IN
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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From the preface:
"The contributors to this volume invite us to explore this unexpected religious community from a combination of perspectives as revelatory as their subject matter . . . Their Cassadaga is at once surprising and familiar. To travel with them to Cassadaga is not only to travel back in time but also to see how America's past is present in its most modern religious developments. At Cassadaga the New Age does not appear as a foreign element on America's religious landscape but rather as a domestic product that is as American as the Bible Belt and as deeply rooted in our national religious longings."--Ann Braude, Harvard University, The Divinity School
"Finally, the important story of Cassadaga has been recorded, and these authors tell that story with eloquence and insight."--Timothy Miller, University of Kansas
"Brilliantly demonstrates the potential of a multifaceted team study of a single religious phenomenon, at the same time enhancing our awareness of the importance of the spiritualist strand in American religion."--Robert Ellwood, Goodwin-Philpott Eminent Scholar in Religion, Auburn University
Calling itself a "metaphysical mecca," the small town of Cassadaga, between Orlando and Daytona Beach in central Florida, was established more than a century ago on the principle of continuous life, the idea that spirits of the dead commune with the living. Though the founders of Cassadaga have passed on to the "spirit plane," the quaint Victorian town remains the oldest continuously active Spiritualist center in the South and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. While the community has often been sensationalized and misrepresented, this is the first serious work to examine its history, people, cultural environment, and religious system.
After presenting an overview of 19th-century religion, the book explores the town's early years, distinctive architecture, ritual life, core beliefs, healing work, and view of the future. It also probes the extent to which Cassadaga has assimilated New Age beliefs and reflects larger trends in contemporary American religious culture.
The study includes a group biography based on interviews with four older residents, plus a chapter on the colorful life of Eloise Page, a practicing medium in Cassadaga for more than 40 years. In addition, it features 47 photographs that guide readers through the town and portray residents engaged in various sacred and everyday activities.
John J. Guthrie, Jr., (1955-2000) was associate professor of history at Daytona Beach Community College, the author of Keepers of the Spirits: The Judicial Response to Prohibition Enforcement in Florida, 1885-1935, and coauthor of The Florida Land Boom: Speculation, Money, and the Banks.
Phillip Charles Lucas, associate professor of religious studies at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, and general editor of Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, is the author of Prime Time Religion: An Encyclopedia of Religious Broadcasting and The Odyssey of a New Religion: The Holy Order of MANS from New Age to Orthodoxy.
Gary Monroe, professor of art at Daytona Beach Community College's Southeast Museum School of Photography, has published his photographs in several books including Miami Beach, Haiti, and (with Jerome Stern) Florida Dreams.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great little known information historicaly,
By Karen A. (NYC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cassadaga: The South's Oldest Spiritualist Community (Florida History and Culture) (Hardcover)
I bought this book out of interest, and curiosity.I may be moving to Florida for family reasons, and wanted to know more about Cassadaga,possibly considering to move there. .I was unaware that Cassadaga is actually connected to anothersimilar town recently written about:Lily Dale, in NY state.In reading this book however,I found it very different than I expected.It has much historical information--styles of architecture,different origins of "settlers",descriptions of particular people, famous and not, who lived, or visited Cassadaga. There is fascinating sociociological and religious information, as well as the obvious unusual fact that the town is almost entirely made up of spirtualists,and has been since the early 19th century..This book will be of interest to history buffs, as well as those curious about the spiritualists or mediums that live there. I will say it may not appeal to those that simply want an easy,exciting, or "spooky"type read.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A truely fascinating read,
By T BAELZ (RIDING MILL, NORTHUMBERLAND England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cassadaga: The South's Oldest Spiritualist Community (Florida History and Culture) (Hardcover)
for religious seekers, those curious about spiritualmatters, those interested in Florida's history and any with a mind to understand religious communities, this book is a MUST read. The varied articles are revealing, stimulating, fascinating, well-written, with marvellous footnotes and bibliography. Oh, if all university, edited publications could be so good. If this ever makes it to a reprint or paperback, more varied and colour photos would just be the icing on the cake.
4 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT BOOK by A GREAT MAN!,
By
This review is from: Cassadaga: The South's Oldest Spiritualist Community (Florida History and Culture) (Hardcover)
Hi, I am Ian Guthrie, nephew of the late John J. Guthrie Jr. I have read this book, i even did a report relating to the occurences and information in it. it is a great text, and it is soooooo good. and my uncle john was a great man. so i would highly reccomend this to people of all ages and all interest. Thanks. -ian
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