Charles Samuel Braden (19 September 1887 – 1970) was Professor and Chair of the Department of History and Literature of Religions at Northwestern University.
He joined the faculty in 1926 and held the professorship from 1943; he was awarded emeritus status in 1954.
Braden became known in particular for the study of new religious movements (NRM).
His Spirits in Rebellion: The Rise and Development of New Thought (1963) remains the standard history of the New Thought family of NRMs.