Eastern Relations

The Orient in American Transcendentalism
Arthur Christy

In the chapter, "Emerson and the Over-Soul", Arthur Christy describes the internal evolvement of Emerson's concept of the Over-Soul. Initially in his twenties and early thirties, Emerson's religious beliefs stemmed mainly from his devotion for the Bible, which he called "the most original book." (72) In his forties, Christy writes of the "intimacy" that "had arisen between himself [Emerson] and the Eastern bibles." (72) In his fifties, all of Emerson's probing and relentless pursuits to understand the cosmic relation of various spiritualities came full circle as he no longer cared for a separation of spiritual categories, but felt "the charm of the study is in finding the agreements and identities in all the religions of men." (71)

Therefore, the idea of the Over-Soul for Emerson meant an abstract entity uniting all religions, all people, and the only difference was the way one chose to connect with the Over-Soul. Emerson's chosen method was to be in close communion with nature, carefully listening to its messsages, and being fully aware of the present moment. This connection between the inherent messages of nature and how they are used to bring one closer to the Over-Soul is illustrated in Emerson's infamous essay, "Nature".