“The Light of Asia” or “Hooey from the Orient”?

While most religious groups viewed the existing order of gender, race and class relations as ordained by God, ardent Spiritualists appeared not only in the women's rights movement, but throughout the most radical reform movements of the 19th century…the abolition of slavery, reform of marriage…labour reform, vegetarianism, dress reform, health reform, temperance and anti-sabbatarianism.