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The Origins of Christian Science: How Did Mary Baker Eddy Found the Controversial Religion?
Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices related to the Church of Christ, Scientist. Believers are generally called Christian Scientists, or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally called the Christian Science Church. The movement was founded in 1879 in New England by Mary Baker Eddy, who detailed the theology of Christian Science in her 1875 book Science and Health: A Key to the Bible. The book was originally titled "Science and Health." A subtitle was added in 1883, and it was finally titled "Science and Health: A Key to the Bible." This book became a core text of Christian Science and ranks alongside the Bible. As of 2001, the book has sold more than 9 million copies.
Mary Baker Eddy and 26 believers were granted a charter from the state of Massachusetts in 1879 and established the "Scientists". The church was reorganized in 1892 and renamed "The Church of Christ, Christian Scientists."
Christian Science, known as the "religion of thinkers," became one of the fastest growing religions in the United States in 1936, with nearly 270,000 members, but by 1990, this number had dropped to just over 100,000 , the report pointed out that by 2009 it had dropped to less than 50,000. The church is best known for its newspaper, the Christian Science Monitor, which won seven Pulitzer Prizes between 1950 and 2002, as well as its public reading rooms around the world. The religious tenets of Christian Science differ significantly from those of many other Christian denominations, covering important concepts such as the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the Atonement, Resurrection, and the Eucharist. Eddy describes Christian Science as a return to "primitive Christianity and its lost medical elements."
Believers adhere to a radical form of philosophical spiritualism that holds that reality is purely spiritual and that the material world is an illusion.
This also includes viewing illness as a psychological error rather than a physical illness, and believing that the patient should be treated through a prayerful approach in an effort to correct the beliefs that create the illusion of health. While the Church does not require Christian Scientists to forego medical care, and members still go to the dentist, eye doctor, obstetrician, orthopedic surgeon, etc., Christian Science believes that prayer is most effective when not combined with medical care. Critics of the practice's reliance on prayer and neglect of medical care say it has led to the deaths of several believers and their children.
The formation of Christian Science is closely related to several Christian revivals in the United States in the second half of the 19th century. During this period, many new religious movements emerged, called the "metaphysician family", including Christian Science, Sacred Science, Christianity of unity schools, etc. Beginning in the 1890s, the liberal portion of the movement became known as "New Thought" to distinguish it from the more authoritative Christian Science. The term "metaphysics" refers to the movement's philosophical idealism, the belief in the priority of the world of thought, and the belief that material phenomena are the result of mental states.
"Life is consciousness, and God is soul."
To understand the theology of Christian Science, we must first understand Eddie’s background. Eddie was born on a farm in New Hampshire, grew up in a devout Puritan family, and was strongly influenced by Christianity. Her early life was fraught with health problems, which led her to explore various medical treatments, eventually receiving spiritual treatment from New England spiritual healer Phineas Parkhurst Quimby. In 1866, Addie was injured in a slip and fall accident but days later claimed she was healed through prayer, an experience that prompted her to think deeply about the connection between spirituality and healing.
"Truth is healing."
With Eddy's establishment of the Christian Science Society in 1879, the belief system of Christian Science gradually took shape. In 1783, her works became the official teachings of Christian Science. Many of her views challenged traditional Christian teachings. Addie believes that Jesus Christ is the only Word and the forerunner of spiritual healing, and that her followers should understand Jesus and his revelations in a Protestant way.
In 1907, Addie's life and beliefs were widely reported, and many critics and supporters expressed different views on her teachings. As Addie's influence grew, Christian Science reviewed her writings and continually reinterpreted her teachings, working toward harmony between parties and unity of faith.
After Eddie's death in 1910, the Christian Science movement experienced complex transformations and challenges. Although the church continued to expand in the following decades, it also faced internal conflicts and external criticism. The Christian Science Church still adheres to Eddy's core teachings and continues to promote its beliefs and practices throughout the world.
Based on different social backgrounds and interpretations of beliefs, Christian Science has been controversial since its inception. Can spiritual healing truly replace traditional medicine? Will it pose a threat to the life and health of believers? How should people choose appropriate solutions when facing physical and mental pain and illness?
