Ralph Waldo Trine (9 September 1866 – 22 February 1958) was an American New Thought writer, philosopher and animal welfare activist.
Ralph Waldo Trine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 9 September 1866[1] |
| Died | 22 February 1958 |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Spouse | Grace Steele Hyde Trine |
Biography
Trine was born in Mount Morris, Illinois to Ellen E. Newcomer and Samuel G. Trine.[1][2] He was educated at Knox College where he graduated A.B. in 1891. He studied history and political science at Johns Hopkins University and obtained his A.M. from Knox College in 1893.[2]
Trine married Grace Steele Hyde and they had one son.[2][3] As a young man he worked as a correspondent for the Boston Evening Transcript. During this time he became influenced by the idealistic philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson.[2] Trine was also influenced by George Herron's Christian socialism.[4] Trine's spiritual views have been described as being a mixture of Buddhism, pantheism, spiritualism, transcendentalism, Christian socialism, and neo-Vedanta philosophy.[5]
Trine authored In Tune with the Infinite which has remained the most popular publication in the New Thought movement.[6] It was translated into 20 languages.[2] Unlike most other New Thought writers, Trine did not resort to mental money making advice and has been described as "one of the rare purists whose books were guileless optimism".[7] In the 1920s, Trine became associated with Henry Ford and published some of their conversations in The Power that Wins.[2]
Trine lived and worked on a fruit farm in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.[8][3]
Animal welfare
Trine was a vegetarian for ethical reasons and supported animal welfare.[9] His book Every Living Creature called for kindness to animals and advocated a vegetarian diet.[9][10] He was the director of the American Humane Education Society and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.[1][3]
Selected publications
- In Tune with the Infinite, T. Y. Crowell & Company, 1897
- Every Living Creature, T. Y. Crowell & Company, 1899
- The Greatest Thing Ever Known, T. Y. Crowell & Company, 1898
- In the Fire of the Heart, McClure, Philips & Co, 1906
- The Wayfarer On The Open Road, George Bell and Sons, 1908
- My Philosophy and My Religion, Dodd, Mead & Company, 1921
- The Power that Wins, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1929