The Story of My Mind; Or, How I Became a Rationalist

"The Story of My Mind; Or, How I Became a Rationalist" is a philosophical book by M. M. Mangasarian. Mangasarian, a former Presbyterian pastor turned rationalist thinker, writes the book primarily to his children so that, «If you should ever become parents yourselves, and your children should feel inclined to lend their support to dogma, I hope you will prevail upon them, first to read the story of their grand-father, who fought his way out of the camp of orthodoxy by grappling with each dogma, hand to hand and breast to breast.» He was brought up in the Congregational church and, as he admits, was heavily influenced by his Christian parents in his faith. As soon as he was old enough, he was sent to college with a view of preparing for the ministry. Having finished college he went to the Princeton Theological Seminary, where he received instruction from such eminent theologians as Drs. A. A. Hodge, William H. Green, and Prof. Francis L. Patton. At the age of twenty-three, he became pastor of the Spring Garden Presbyterian church of Philadelphia. The novel records his journey from that background to his later conversion to a rationalist.