ChatGPT said:
John Humphrey Noyes (1811–1886) was a radical American religious leader and social reformer best known as the founder of the Oneida Community, one of the most famous utopian experiments in 19th-century America.
Who Was He?
- Born: Brattleboro, Vermont, 1811
- Education: Yale Divinity School
- Originally trained to be a Congregationalist minister, but diverged sharply from mainstream Christianity.
- Theological belief: Advocated Perfectionism—the idea that it is possible to achieve a state of sinless perfection in this life through spiritual regeneration.
- Key doctrine: He believed that Christ had already returned in 70 AD (a form of preterism), making the way open for the creation of heaven on earth.
He was eventually defrocked and ostracized for his controversial theological views—particularly his ideas about sex, marriage, and social structure.
What Was His Project? – The Oneida Community
Founded: 1848 in Oneida, New York
Purpose: To build a utopian, communal society based on Noyes’ radical religious and social principles.
Key Features of the Oneida Community:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Perfectionism | Belief that spiritual perfection and freedom from sin were achievable on earth. |
| Complex Marriage | Rejected monogamy; all members were considered “married” to each other. Exclusive relationships were forbidden. |
| Male Continence | A form of coitus reservatus (sexual intercourse without ejaculation), practiced to promote self-control and avoid unwanted pregnancies. |
| Mutual Criticism | Members were subjected to group critiques to eliminate selfish behavior and promote communal harmony. |
| Communal Property | All possessions were shared, including labor, goods, and profits. |
| Eugenics (Stirpiculture) | In the 1860s, Noyes introduced a selective breeding program designed to produce morally and physically superior children. 58 children were born through this program. |
| Gender Roles | While not egalitarian by modern standards, women had more freedom than in mainstream society: they could work, wear pants, and had some say in sexual matters. |
What Happened to It?
- By the 1870s, internal conflicts and external pressure mounted.
- In 1879, facing legal and social scrutiny over “complex marriage,” Noyes fled to Canada.
- The community dissolved its communal marriage system and transformed into a joint-stock company: Oneida Limited, which eventually became a successful manufacturer of silverware.
Why He Matters
Noyes was one of the most radical and influential figures of 19th-century American utopianism. His ideas challenged the norms of:
- Religion
- Marriage and sexuality
- Gender roles
- Property and economy
He’s remembered both for his progressive vision of a more equitable, communal society—and for the controversial methods he used to achieve it.
Let me know if you’d like a quick visual timeline or a deeper dive into any part of his theology, the Oneida community, or their legacy.Attach
cite the books by and on John Humphrey Noyes
ChatGPT said:
Here’s a detailed list of books by John Humphrey Noyes, followed by a selection of notable books on John Humphrey Noyes:
Books by John Humphrey Noyes
According to multiple bibliographic sources:
- The Way of Holiness (1838) WikisourcePitzer College
- The Berean: A Manual for the Help of Those Who Seek the Faith of the Primitive Church (1847) WikisourcePitzer College
- Bible Communism (1848) WikisourcePitzer College
- Male Continence (also titled Self‑Control in Sexual Intercourse) (1848) WikisourcePitzer College
- Slavery and Marriage (1850) Wikisource
- The Second Coming of Christ (1859) Wikisource
- Salvation from Sin: The End of Christian Faith (1869) WikisourceWikipedia
- History of American Socialisms (1870) WikisourceWikipedia
- Scientific Propagation (1873) WikisourceWikipedia
- Home Talks (1875) WikisourceWikipedia
- Mutual Criticism (1876) WikisourceWikipedia
Other sources (like Goodreads and Project Gutenberg) list similar titles—e.g. History of American Socialisms, Male Continence, Mutual Criticism, The Berean—confirming their status as works authored by Noyes GoodreadsProject Gutenberg.
Books about John Humphrey Noyes
Scholarly studies and biographies about Noyes provide deeper insight into his life and ideas. Notable titles include:
- Thomas, Robert David. The Man Who Would Be Perfect: John Humphrey Noyes and the Utopian Impulse (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1977) Wikipedia
- Pierrepont B. Noyes. My Father’s House: An Oneida Boyhood (Farrar and Rinehart, 1937) — by his son Wikipedia+1
- Parker, John Allerton. A Yankee Saint: John Humphrey Noyes and the Oneida Community (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1935) Wikipedia
- Warfield, Benjamin Breckinridge. “John Humphrey Noyes and his ‘Bible Communists.’” Bibliotheca Sacra, vol. 78, no. 309 (Jan. 1921) Wikipedia
- Klaw, Spencer. Without Sin: The Life and Death of the Oneida Community (Allen Lane, 1993) Pitzer College
- Additional works such as “The Ideas of John Humphrey Noyes, Perfectionist” by Leonard Bernstein, found in American Quarterly (1953) Pitzer College, among others listed Wikipedia.
Summary Tables
| Books by John Humphrey Noyes | Year |
|---|---|
| The Way of Holiness | 1838 |
| The Berean | 1847 |
| Bible Communism | 1848 |
| Male Continence | 1848 |
| Slavery and Marriage | 1850 |
| The Second Coming of Christ | 1859 |
| Salvation from Sin | 1869 |
| History of American Socialisms | 1870 |
| Scientific Propagation | 1873 |
| Home Talks | 1875 |
| Mutual Criticism | 1876 |
| Books on/about John Humphrey Noyes |
|---|
| A Yankee Saint: John Humphrey Noyes and the Oneida Community |
| My Father’s House: An Oneida Boyhood |
| The Man Who Would Be Perfect: John Humphrey Noyes and the Utopian Impulse |
| “John Humphrey Noyes and his ‘Bible Communists’.” |
| The Ideas of John Humphrey Noyes, Perfectionist |
| Without Sin: The Life and Death of the Oneida Community |
You said:
who was he and what was his project