Narrative: An Overview of Christian Science

Although Christian Science is a fairly new religion in the grand scheme of human history, Christian Science has clearly left a mark on world theology. Created in the late 19^th century, Christian Science was one of the first religions created by an American woman (Mary Baker Eddy), and even a woman in general, at a time when sexism was much rampant in America. Christian Science is still practiced worldwide, with the 2010 census declaring that there were fewer than 100,000 members in total. However, Christian Science remains popular on the world scene, as it produces one of America’s most influential newspapers, The Christian Science Monitor. Its headquarters is located in Boston, Massachusetts along with the First Church of Christ, Scientist and the Christian Science Plaza. The areas in the world where Christian Science is practiced the most are the United States, Australia, Scandinavia, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

With regards to beliefs, Christian Scientists believe that the spiritual reality is the only true reality, and that the physical world is an illusion. They see Christ as human’s highest form, regarding him as man’s ideal. In addition to this, they believe that sickness is an illusion, and that all illnesses can be healed through prayer and in-depth study of Scripture. It is claimed by the religion that many have been healed through the study of the Bible and Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health. However, this practice has created much controversy as numerous deaths in the early years of the Church were attributed to the lack of proper medical care.

Essentially every part of Christian Science can be traced back to the works of Mary Baker Eddy. Many women in the early 19th century interpreted Eddy’s creation of the Church as a response to the male-dominated society as the religion places a strong emphasis on ideas that seem to be more feminine, particularly the great importance of healing. Many people from old Hollywood were fond of the religion, as some of the more notable members included Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Joan Crawford, Doris Day, and Cecil B DeMille.

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