The underlying assumption behind her discovery is that so-called miracles actually follow divine laws.
Combining science and religion may seem taboo, but, in light of history, this combination is wholly unsurprising.
Science and Health (first published in 1875) by Mary Baker Eddy is the textbook for Christian Science and thus the natural place to start for a series on Christian Science.
Below is an example of my new (and hopefully improved) book summaries, a list of five ideas presented in the book.
Summary:
1) Matter and physical causation, including sickness is illusory.2) Spirit or Mind composes all reality.
3) God is infinite Mind, Mother-Father, Love, Principle, and more.
4) Humankind reflects God; and is the compound idea of infinite Spirit.
5) Sickness is unreal; teaching this is the primary healing method.
Extended Analysis and Critique
Metaphysics:
Metaphysically speaking, Christian Science has little in common with Christianity. The vast majority of Christians believe and have believed that matter exists.
However, to Christian Scientists matter and anything physical is illusory; what is really real is Spirit or Mind.
George Berkeley's idealism is perhaps the Christian metaphysical system that most resembles the metaphysics of Christian Science. Both believe that minds and their ideas are what is real; however, Berkeley was also an empiricist.
He argued that everything, including matter, is an idea in the mind of a perceiver. From a Christian Science perspective, this mixes truth with error because the illusion of matter is mixed with the reality of mind.
In Advaita Vedanta, Brahman is the universal Principle, like God is the Principle in Science and Health. Matter is illusory and Brahman (which can also be considered the Infinite) is reality.
Though the reality of matter is comparatively more real than our imagination in Advaita Vedanta, perhaps also mixing truth with error from the Christian science view.
God/Trinity:
God is not typically viewed as a person in Christian Science, unlike most Christian theologies. Instead, God is more typically seen as Principle, Love, or even Mind.
God is also unitary. In Christian Science, there is no traditional concept of Trinity. Eddy states that the trinity is closer to polytheism, rather than monotheism. Perhaps ironically, this is a criticism that Muslims often levy against Christians.
Though there is still a Holy Ghost, but it is not a person. But rather it is: "Divine Science; the development of eternal Life, Truth, and Love."
Science:
When Eddy was writing, the term 'science' was just starting to become professionalized and 'scientist' wasn't coined until 1834.
As late as 1869, three years after the discovery of Christian Science, Antoinette Brown Blackwell wrote Studies in General Science that included metaphysics and epistemology as subjects alongside evolution and physics. Thus, the word 'science' was a much more general term.
It seems odd to contemporary ears to call a religion 'science.' However, with its allegedly repeatable methods and its emphasis on Principle, it was, at its origin, using 'science' according to its usage of the day.
Pharmacology:
Pharmacology, then called materia medica, was primarily focused on treating the symptoms of disease, rather than the disease itself.
In the late 1800s, antibiotics were not yet invented and inoculations were controversial. In Science and Health, pharmacology was given about the same amount of attention as mesmerism, also called animal magnetism, which was a loose collection of ideas that focused on an invisible natural force exerted by animals.
Suffice it to say that the state of pharmacology was still in its infancy and perhaps it is just now reaching adolescence. Some treatments caused as much problems as the ailment it was supposed to be treating.
Also no one denies that mind has some effect on the body. Thus, it is not all that surprising that something like Christian Science was developed.
History of Religion in America
But why specifically America? In Without God without Creed, James Turner observes that 19th century American churches de-emphasized creeds.
Without strong creeds, American churches splintered into multiple denominations. Even creating three American styles of religion, Christian Science, Mormonism, and later Unitarian Universalist.
Some historians think about American religion using a market analogy.
America is one of the prime examples of a free religious market. Thus the 'startups' of Christian Science and Mormonism have a better shot than in other countries with a more dominantly established religion.
Bottom line:
First, I want to emphasize that explaining a religion historically does not necessarily discredit a religion. Religion is steeped in humanity.
Even if we have a sense of the divine inside of us or have experienced something wholly other, we interpret these experiences as humans. Thus, merely claiming that someone created a religious idea does not invalidate it.
Second, I will delve more into Christian Science through this blog, but I doubt that my main critique of Christian Science will change. And that is that I think its dangerous from a public health perspective.
Eddy advocates not taking any medicine and Christian Scientists typically follow this teaching. However, even if you are completely sure about your faith and ability to adhere to and believe that sickness is unreal, from many outside perspectives you are putting others in danger.
Refusing to be vaccinated decreases herd immunity. Even if someone is immunocompromised or cannot get a vaccination due to allergies, they get some protection from diseases if enough healthy individuals receive vaccinations.
Yes, this is very much an outside critique. But, one that I can't help making. To the Christian Scientist vaccines do nothing, but to most of the rest of the world it saves lives. So get vaccinated.
Yes, this is very much an outside critique. But, one that I can't help making. To the Christian Scientist vaccines do nothing, but to most of the rest of the world it saves lives. So get vaccinated.
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