Christian Science

Christian Science
Sarah Nichols · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Christian Science
Founder	Mary Baker Eddy
Founded date	1866
Founded place	Boston, Massachusetts
Theology	Restorationism, Metaphysics, Christian theology
Scripture	The Bible, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts

Christian Science is a religious movement established in the 19th century by Mary Baker Eddy in Boston, Massachusetts. It emphasizes spiritual healing, a metaphysical interpretation of The Bible, and a distinctive corpus of literature led by Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. The movement developed institutions, periodicals, and educational efforts that engaged with contemporaneous figures and events across United States and international contexts.

History

The movement emerged after Eddy’s 1866 recovery following the American Civil War era, influenced by earlier currents such as Mesmerism, Spiritualism, and thinkers like Phineas Quimby; Eddy framed her understanding in the milieu of 19th-century American religious movements alongside figures like Joseph Smith and denominations such as the Methodist Episcopal Church and Unitarianism. She published Science and Health in 1875 and founded the Church of Christ, Scientist in 1879, creating institutions in Boston, Massachusetts and expanding to urban centers like New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. The movement established global branches in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in locations including London, Paris, Sydney, and Toronto, interacting with civic developments such as the Progressive Era and events like the World's Columbian Exposition where religious innovation was showcased. Key organizational milestones include the incorporation of the Mother Church (Christian Science) in The First Church of Christ, Scientist in 1894 and the construction of the Christian Science Plaza and Christian Science Monitor offices during the 20th century. Prominent contemporaries and interlocutors included Horace Greeley, Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, and reformers active in Boston salons and New England intellectual circles.

Beliefs and Teachings

Adherents base doctrine on the Bible and Eddy’s writings, asserting that reality is fundamentally spiritual, a position engaging with metaphysical traditions traced to Plato, Origen, and George Berkeley. Core tenets include the primacy of God as divine Mind, the illusory nature of matter, and the possibility of healing through prayer, paralleling and diverging from Protestant perspectives such as those of Charles Finney and Dwight L. Moody. The movement’s soteriology and Christology interpret Jesus as both exemplar and demonstrator of spiritual law, engaging hermeneutically with passages associated with Gospel of John, Sermon on the Mount, and Pauline epistles. Ethical teachings stress moral reform, temperance debates intersected with figures like Frances Willard and organizations such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, while social engagement brought interaction with Settlement Movement leaders like Jane Addams and civic actors in Boston and New York City. Theology influenced and was critiqued by scholars of religion such as William James, Alfred North Whitehead, and Mircea Eliade.

Practices and Organization

Worship practices center on readings from the Bible and Eddy’s Science and Health, assembled in First Church of Christ, Scientist services, with administrative structures including Branches (administrative divisions) and the Mother Church (Christian Science). Healing practice typically involves devoted prayer and reliance on Christian Science practitioners; interactions with secular institutions include encounters with American medical associations and public health authorities like the United States Public Health Service. Training and licensure for practitioners and teachers are managed internally, entailing lessons and examinations administered by church committees and institutions in Boston and regional centers such as Chicago and London. Governance features elected boards and trustees comparable to structures in organizations like the American Red Cross and educational boards at universities such as Harvard University where local controversies over recognition occasionally arose. Women have historically occupied prominent leadership roles, with parallels to suffrage leaders such as Susan B. Anthony and organizational pioneers including Florence Nightingale in professionalizing care.

Publications and Institutions

Eddy founded and shaped a network of publications and institutions including the periodical the Christian Science Monitor, the principal text Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and the organizational hub The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston. The Christian Science Publishing Society produced magazines, hymnals, and educational materials distributed internationally to cities like London, New York City, Toronto, Sydney, and Cape Town. Institutional footprints include the Christian Science Plaza complex, branch churches in metropolitan areas such as Chicago and San Francisco, and ancillary organizations involved in publishing and education that paralleled contemporary missions of entities like the American Bible Society and the YMCA. The Christian Science Monitor gained acclaim and awards including interactions with Pulitzer Prize committees and journalism networks, hiring correspondents who reported on events such as the Cold War, World War II, and later international affairs.

Controversies and Criticism

Critiques have addressed doctrinal, medical, and legal dimensions, interacting with institutions like state courts, the American Medical Association, and child welfare agencies in cases tied to medical neglect and religious exemptions debated in legislatures such as state assemblies in California, New York, and Massachusetts. Public controversies drew commentary from journalists and writers including H. L. Mencken, G. K. Chesterton, and social critics in the pages of outlets like The New York Times and The Atlantic. The movement faced schisms, litigation over estate and corporate governance involving trustees and heirs, and scholarly critique by historians and theologians such as Galen Strawson, George Marsden, and legal scholars commenting on religious liberty precedents like those adjudicated in United States Supreme Court decisions. Debates engaged bioethical discussions involving hospitals, child protection policies, and professional associations, and prompted responses from public figures and institutions including municipal authorities in Boston and healthcare regulators. Internal controversies included disputes over succession and the administration of Eddy's estate, involving trustees and organizations linked to the Mother Church and publishing bodies.

Category:Religions founded in the United States