Joel S. Goldsmith
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Joel Solomon Goldsmith (March 10, 1892–June 17, 1964) was a author, teacher, spiritual healer, mystic, and founder of The Infinite Way movement.[1][2]
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[edit] Early years
Joel Goldsmith was born in New York City on March 10, 1892.[3] Goldsmith's parents, non-practicing Jews, had been married in New York City in 1891 and Joel was their first child. They subsequently had another son two years later followed by a daughter two years after that.
Goldsmith's father became critically ill during a trip to England 1915 and word was sent to the Goldsmith family to come for the body. However, according to Goldsmith, his father was healed by the father of a female friend, a Christian Science practitioner, after more conventional doctors failed.[3]
[edit] Christian Science
After serving in the Marines during World War I, Goldsmith went to work in his father's business, developing tuberculosis soon thereafter. As his father before him, Goldsmith was healed by a Christian Science practitioner and in 1928 Goldsmith became an active Christian Scientist, moving to Boston and living across the street from the "Mother Church".[3]
[edit] The Infinite Way
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Goldsmith self-published his most famous work, The Infinite Way, in 1947 based on letters to patients and students, as well as The Spiritual Interpretation of Scripture.
The writings which followed were transcriptions of his lectures which had been recorded on the first wire recorders in the late 1940s. These were distributed from the Goldsmith Publishing. They were: The Master Speaks, The First, Second, Third San Francisco Lecture Series, Consciousness Unfolding, God the Substance of All Form, and Metaphysical Notes. These original books were later republished during Goldsmith's lifetime by publishers in various countries.
As Goldsmith was approached by large publishing houses around the world to produce books of his talks, he enlisted the help of Lorraine Sinkler and her sister Valbourg to edit his books which were generally compiled from various lecture transcripts. Today, there are those who prefer the original, unedited, works for they are more precise and accurate.
Goldsmith's insistence on "no organization" insured that his message remained a personal journey with leaders naturally evolving from new generations. There is no service, ritual, dogma, ceremony in the practice of the Infinite Way. Goldsmith students can be found in all walks of life, in all religions. Goldsmith's message is one that can be read and heard for a lifetime, always allowing new understandings to unfold in each individual.
Goldsmith stressed meditation practice in his teaching. The method he generally taught was short frequent meditation periods throughout the day. His teaching also stressed spiritual healing through conscious contact with God. There are a variety of opinions and views regarding the specifics of Goldsmith's teaching and how it manifests itself in a person's experience.
[edit] Death
Joel Solomon Goldsmith died on Jun 17, 1964, at the Piccadilly Hotel, Westminster, London W1, England. His body was cremated at Golders Green in London on June 18, 1964, and his ashes and effects where released to his widow, Emma Goldsmith, to take them back to their home in Hawaii. Both were interred in Arizona.[4]
[edit] Bibliography
- Living the Infinite Way
- Practicing the Presence
- The Thunder of Silence
- The Infinite Way
- The Spiritual Interpretation of Scripture
- The Art of Meditation
- The Art of Spiritual Healing
- Parenthesis in Eternity
- Beyond Words and Thoughts
- Collected Essays of Joel S. Goldsmith
- Conscious Union With God
- Consciousness is What I AM
- Contemplative Life
- Gift of Love
- God, The Substance of All Form (1949 edition)
- Leave Your Nets (original)
- The 1954 Letters
- The 1955 Letters
- The 1956 Letters
- The 1957 Letters
- The 1959 Letters
- Now
- Living Between Two Worlds
- Man Was Not Born to Cry
- The Master Speaks (original)
- The Mystical "I"
- Our Spiritual Resources
- Realization of Oneness
- The World is New
- Consciousness Is What I Am
- Consciousness Transformed
- Consciousness in Transition
[edit] References
- ^ Ellwood, R.S. and Alles, G.D. (2007) The encyclopedia of world religions. Infobase Publishing. p 323.
- ^ Sinkler, L. (1992) The Spiritual Journey of Joel S. Goldsmith, Valor Foundation, ISBN 978-0962911927.
- ^ a b c Melton, J.G. (1999) Religious leaders of America: A biographical guide to founders and leaders of religious bodies, churches, and spiritual groups in North America. Gale Research. p 219.
- ^ Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad, Repository Name: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), NARA Series #: RG59-Entry 5166, Roll/Box #: 13, NARA Box Description: 1964 GL - JK
