Christian Science

Overview

The Church of Christ, Scientist, is designed to make the healing and educational system known as Christian Science available and accessible to everyone. Christian Science enables us to understand our relationship to a loving God and our relationship to each other. This understanding improves our lives, our communities and the world. The complete explanation of Christian Science, which is practiced by people of all faiths, is contained in the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

The Church was founded by Mary Baker Eddy with a healing mission that embraces all humanity. In the early 1870s, Eddy began to widely share her principles of spiritual healing for the benefit of others. After publication in 1875 of Science and Health, her primary work on spirituality and healing, readers began meeting to discuss the ideas and share their healing results. Then, in 1879, Eddy established what became The First Church of Christ, Scientist.

At a glance

• Consists of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, and about 2,000 branch Churches of Christ, Scientist, worldwide in 80 countries.
• Is designed "to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing." (Church Manual by Mary Baker Eddy). Eddy had a lifelong reverence for the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and a deep desire that his healing works be universally practiced.
• Has no ordained clergy. In 1895, Eddy named the Bible and Science and Health as the Pastor for worldwide Churches of Christ, Scientist.

The Church

An ongoing emphasis of the Church is to inspire members and other seekers to re-examine Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan and respond to their neighbors' needs around the globe. Millions today, including earnest students of the Bible, are urgently searching for spiritual answers. And for many, the message of Christian Science in Science and Health is bringing the hope, freedom and healing they desire.

The Church’s resources, which are open to everyone, include worship services, Publishing activities include The Christian Science Monitor and a variety of books, magazines, Web sites and radio programs. Christian Science organizations are active at many college and university campuses.

The website www.christianscience.com is a collection of video clips in which people share their personal experiences in Christian Science. It provides a window through which the public can view the impact of Christian Science on people's lives and better understand the practice of spiritual healing.