Thomas Troward

(1847–1916)

About New Thought Author Thomson Jay Hudson

Thomas Troward was an English author whose works influenced the New Thought Movement and Mystic Christianity. Thomas Troward was born in Punjab, India, in 1847 to British parents, Albany and Frederica Troward; his father was a full colonel in the Indian Army. Thomas was brought back to England to attend school and in 1865 he graduated from college with gold medal honors in literature. He went on to study Law, although he has aspirations to be an artist and a painter. In 1869, at the age of 22, Troward returned to India and and took the Indian Civil Service exam. One of the subjects of the test was metaphysics and Troward suprised everyone with his creative answers. He later became an assistant commissioner and was swiftly promoted to Divisional Judge in Punjab, where he would serve the next 25 years.

Troward also married and had three children there. He later divorced and remarried, having three more children. His second wife, Sara Ann, helped him in the published of his works after his death. Troward's interests were bible study, writing books and painting pictures, and even winning several prizes for his art in India. After retiring from the Civil Service in 1902, he returned to England. At the age of 55, Thomas Troward devoted himself to his painting and writing. He was devoted to esoteric and metaphysical studies, and delved into studying the sacred books and oriental religions, which had a strong influence on his spiritual ideas. He studied all the bibles of the world, including the Hindu scriptures of Raja Yoga, and the Koran.

While in India, he also learned the native language.His studies in original Hebrew provided the foundation for his book, Bible Mystery and Bible Meaning.

Thomas was said to be a kind and understanding man by those who knew him well. He was simple and natural in manner, but was said to be personally boring as a speaker. He was an extremely articulate and learned individual, and a very precise and proper Englishman. He had a lighter side and was fond of playing practical jokes on his family.

Thomas eventually returned to England, where he began to write for the New Thought Expressions publication. He had already deeveloped his own philosophy of Mental Science when he was unexpectadly introduced to the 'Higher Thought Center' of London. It was around this time he was invited to give a series of lectures. In 1904 he delivered his famous 'Edinburgh Lectures at Queens Gate in Edinburgh, Scotland, to a very small but appreciative group of persons; later it was said that even this captivated and willing audience hardly understood what he was saying.

It is said Troward is extremely hard to read. His writing was often a combination of intuitive oriental mysticism filtered into a Western style that was typical of a legal mind; sometimes he used scientific jargon of his time and many of his writings had a Christian bent. Thomas Troward was a major influence on the worlks of Ernest Holmes, Frederick Bailes, Emmett Fox and Joseph Murphy, and is often quoted by numerous other writers, even outside of New Thought. Thomas Troward had a contributing influence to Religios Science, The New Thought movement in the United States and Great Britain, and even to some extent, to the more liberal ideas of the Church of England.

Thomas Troward had a profound effect on the development of spiritual metaphysics, in particular that of the New Thought Movement, of which his teaching of the Science of Mind is his most noteworthy achievement, even influencing Ernest Holme's Religious/Science of Mind organization.

Also, according to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) archivist Nell Wing, early AA members were strongly encouraged to read Thomas Troward's Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science.. In the opening of the 2006 film The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, introductory remarks credit Troward's philosophy with inspiring the movie and its production. Troward was a past president of the International New Thought Alliance.

Published writings by Thomson Troward:

The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science (1904) [Read] [Audio/Video] [Borrow] [PURCHASE]

The Dore Lectures on Mental Science; being Sunday addresses at the Dore Gallery, London, given in connection with the Higher Thought Centre (1909) [Read] [Borrow] [PURCHASE]