Fannie Brooks James

(1854 - 1914)

About New Thought Author Fannie Brooks James

Fannie Brooks James was a spiritual and new thought author and teacher and played an important role in the development of Divine Science, along with her two sisters, Althea Small Brooks, and Nona L. Brooks; All three women were influential to the New Thought movement in general. Fannie was the first of the Brooks sisters to attend a class held by Malinda E. Cramer in February 1889. Fannie Brooks had a brilliant mind and was a teacher of great capacity and depth.

Like her sisters Althea and Nona, Fannie James suffered from both poor health and economic burdens early in life. In 1887, Fannie Brooks James resided in Peuble, Colordo and began a spiritual quest. Up until that time she had been a practicing Presbyterian. Fannie delved into spiritual, religious and metaphysical study and practice, along with her sisters. In the 1890's, Fannie James began teaching Bible classes and also began correspondance with Malinda Cramer, the main founder of the Divine Science movement who resided in San Francisco.

During this time, the Brooks sisters were residing in Denver, Colorodo. Fannie Brooks continued teaching healing classes and all three sisters were teaching and healing full time. In 1898, Fannie and her sisters opened a college; they also began holding Sunday services in 1899, and launched their monthly magazine Filfillment, in 1902. Their publication attracted a visit from Malinda Cramer who came to Denver to meet the Brook's sisters in person ofr the first time. The spiritual ideas that Fannie Brooks and her sisters taught were similar in nature to Malinda Cramer's, and with her permission, the sisters decided to use Cramer's term "Divine Science" to describe her own teachings from that point forward. There was an understand between Mrs. Cramer and the Brooks sisters and they willingly co-operated with each other throughout the years. The women's ideas and teachings would eventually merge together to form the complete Divine Science philosophy.

Although Divine Science recognizes Melinda Cramer as the main founder, Fannie Brooks James was considered a co-founder. Divine Science was the largest New Thought denomination at the time, with churches in many major American cities; it is a Christian New Thought denomination that teaches practical resonable living based on the onmipresence of God.. Fannie B. James's work was widely used by a number of the various Divine Science denominations and is still used today.