JOHN MURRAY SPEAR: FATHER OF THE MECHANICAL MESSIAH

When John Murray Spear, a man of extreme faith, began receiving messages in 1853 from the spirits of some of the greatest minds of all time, he believed himself to be chosen as the father of these geniuses' greatest invention: THE NEW MOTIVE POWER. A machine of perpetual motion that would not only supply  energy to the world, but free people of the shackles that came with work. It was to be the new messiah. John Benedict Buesher, Doctor of Religious Studies and author of The Remarkable Life of John Murray Spear: Agitator for the Spirit Land, joins us to discuss Spear’s truly bizarre life, beliefs, and inventions. 

CREDITS

Hosted by Ray Tarara

Written & Produced by R.J. Blake and Ray Tarara

Theme music by Terra Monk

Special Guest: John B. Buescher - The Remarkable Life of John Murray Spear: Agitator for the Spirit Land

Thanks to Graham Plowman for allowing us to use his music for this episode, you can listen to more of his music at www.grahamplowman.com.  

Sound effects provided by vedas, bwav, fillmat, and cms4f from Freesound.org

SOURCES

The Remarkable Life of John Murray Spear: Agitator for the Spirit Land - Author: John Benedict Buescher

Bibliotecapleyades.com - Author: Robert Damon Schneck - The Building Of… The God Machine

Dictionary of Unitarian & Universalist Biography - Author: John Buescher - .John Murray Spear

Week in Weird.com - Author: Dana Matthews - The New Motor: Building John Murray Spear’s “God Machine” in Lynn, Massachusetts

The Guardian - Author: Mark Pilkington - Metal Messiah

Encyclopedia.com - John Murray Spear

Twenty Years on the Wing : Brief Narrative of My Travels and Labors as a Missionary Sent Forth and Sustained by the Association of Beneficents in Spirit Land - Author: John Murray Spear - Made available to us by Cenegage Learning

Encyclopedia Britannica - Author: J. Gordon Melton - Spiritualism

Dan Baines.com - John Murray Spear’s Mechanical Messiah Discovered In Colorado Attic