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The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Mary Baker Eddy, author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and founder of Christian Science. The church was founded "to commemorate the word and works of Christ Jesus" and "reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing".
Mary Baker Eddy was an American religious leader and author who founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, in New England in 1879. She also founded The Christian Science Monitor in 1908, and three religious magazines: the Christian Science Sentinel, The Christian Science Journal, and The Herald of Christian Science. She wrote numerous books and articles, the notable of which were Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and Manual of The Mother Church. Other works were edited posthumously into the Prose Works Other than Science and Health.
Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices which are associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally known as the Christian Science church. It was founded in 1879 in New England by Mary Baker Eddy, who wrote the 1875 book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, which outlined the theology of Christian Science. The book became Christian Science's central text, along with the Bible, and by 2001 had sold over nine million copies.
Bliss Knapp, the son of Ira O. and Flavia S. Knapp, students of Mary Baker Eddy, was an early Christian Science lecturer, practitioner, teacher and the author of The Destiny of the Mother Church.
A Christian Science practitioner is an individual who prays for others according to the teachings of Christian Science. Treatment is non-medical, rather it is based on the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (1875) by Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), who said she discovered Christian Science in 1866 and founded the Christian Science church in 1879. According to the church, Christian Science practitioners address physical conditions, as well as relationship or financial difficulties and any other problem or crisis. Despite the non-medical nature of their practice, Christian Science practitioners were aggressively prosecuted in the late 19th century by newly established state medical societies across the United States. Most state courts dismissed these actions because the courts ruled that they did not practice medicine. Practitioners are either "listed" or "unlisted," a designation that refers to a form of international accreditation maintained by The Mother Church, in Boston, Massachusetts. "Listed" practitioners are included in the directory of Christian Science practitioners on the church website, and printed in the Christian Science Journal.
The Church Manual of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts commonly known as the Manual of The Mother Church is the book that establishes the structure and governance of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, also known as The Mother Church, functioning like a constitution. It was written by Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the church. It was first published in 1895 and was revised dozens of times. The final edition, the 89th, was published in 1910.
The Christian Science Hymnal is a collection of hymns used in Christian Science church services including Sunday services and Wednesday evening testimony meetings, as well as in occasional informal hymn sings.
Virginia S. Harris is a teacher and practitioner of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. She previously served as Publisher of The Writings of Mary Baker Eddy, President and founding Trustee of The Mary Baker Eddy Library, and member and Chairman of The Christian Science Board of Directors between 1990 and 2004.
Septimus James Hanna, an American Civil War veteran and a judge in the Old West. He was a student of Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the Christian Science church. Giving up his legal career, he became a Christian Science practitioner, lecturer and teacher. Hanna occupied more leading positions within the church organization than any individual, serving as pastor, then First Reader of The Mother Church, as editor and associate editor of the periodicals, member of the Bible Lesson Committee, he served two terms as president of The Mother Church, he was teacher of the Normal (teachers) Class of 1907, later vice president and then president of the Massachusetts Metaphysical College.
The Massachusetts Metaphysical College was founded in 1881 by Mary Baker Eddy in Boston, Massachusetts, to teach her school of theology that she named Christian Science. After teaching for almost seven years, Eddy closed this college in 1889 in order to devote herself to the revision of her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, but retained her charter and reopened the college in 1899 as an auxiliary to her Church.
William Dennison McCrackan was an American journalist and author of books on history and travel. In 1900, he converted to Christian Science and became a Christian Science practitioner, teacher and lecturer.
Rev. Irving Clinton Tomlinson was an American Universalist minister who converted to Christian Science, becoming a practitioner and teacher. For a time, he lived as one of the workers in the household of church founder, Mary Baker Eddy, later writing a book about his experiences called Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy.
Annie MacMillan Knott was a practitioner and teacher in The First Church of Christ, Scientist. She was a student of Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the religion, and served the church in various capacities including First Reader, Associate Editor of the Christian Science periodicals, member of the Bible Lesson Committee, one of the first women on the Christian Science Board of Lectureship, Trustee under the Will of Mary Baker Eddy, and the first woman to become a member of the Christian Science Board of Directors.
Calvin Augustine Frye was the personal assistant of Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), the founder of Christian Science.
Sibyl Wilbur O'Brien Stone, best known as Sibyl Wilbur, was an American journalist, suffragist, and author of a biography of Mary Baker Eddy. She was a San Diego Branch Member of the National League of American Pen Women and a member of the New England Woman's Press Association.
Samuel Putnam Bancroft, also known as Samuel P. Bancroft, was an American Christian Scientist and an early student of Mary Baker Eddy.
Adam Herbert Dickey, was an author, member of the Board of Directors of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and a secretary to Mary Baker Eddy.
Laura Lathrop (1845–1922) was an American religious leader in the Christian Science movement, primarily in New York City. A student of Mary Baker Eddy, she became a Christian Science healer, teacher, and church leader in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Eddy appointed her to establish Second Church of Christ, Scientist, New York. As such, she provided an alternative form of leadership in New York City to the more assertive and independent approach of the flamboyant Augusta Stetson, leader of First Church of Christ, Scientist, New York. Although often reluctant in accepting leadership roles, Lathrop was diligent in following Eddy's directives. She proved to be an effective spokesperson for Christian Science in the public square and before legislative committees. Over a twenty-six year period, Lathrop had a very active, demanding, and successful healing practice in New York City. Lathrop taught about Christian Science to many notables of her time, including Susan B. Anthony. Anthony took a class on Christian Science with Lathrop in 1888. Other prominent individuals who took class instruction in Christian Science from Lathrop were the Methodist Episcopal Bishop John Philip Newman and Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University and wife of the industrialist and politician, Senator Leland Stanford.
Sue Harper Mims, C.S.D., was a social leader in Atlanta, Georgia and the wife of Livingston Mims, the 37th mayor of Atlanta. She was a member of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and helped found its branch church in Atlanta.
References
- 1 2 Healing spiritually. CSPS. 1996. p. 349
- ↑ Why did Mary Baker Eddy start The Christian Science Journal? March 8, 2019. Mary Baker Eddy Library.
- ↑ Gill, Gillian (1998) Mary Baker Eddy. Perseus Books. p. 305
- ↑ The Christian Science Journal. OCLC 1554487 . Retrieved 5 May 2020– via WorldCat.
- ↑ Healing spiritually. CSPS. 1996. "To the Reader".
- ↑ Testimonies of healing JSH-Online.
- ↑ Online Christian Science Journal Directory
- ↑ "Hanna, Septimus J." Longyear Museum. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ↑ Harley, Gail M. (2001). Schultz, Rima Lunin; Hast, Adele (eds.). Women Building Chicago 1790-1990: A Biographical Dictionary. Indiana University Press. p. 405. ISBN 0-253-33852-2.
- ↑ "Knott, Annie M." Longyear Museum. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ↑ "McCrackan, William D." Longyear Museum. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ↑ Adam, Neil Kensington (1962-05-01). "A CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST'S APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF NATURAL SCIENCE". The Christian Science Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ↑ Blackwell, Alice Stone (1887-04-01). "WOMAN SUFFRAGE". The Christian Science Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ↑ Lieut. C. H. Lightoller, RNR (October 1912), "Testimonies From the Field", Christian Science Journal, XXX (7): 414–5
