“Church of Christ, Scientist: History, Beliefs, Practices”

Simmons, John K. “Church of Christ, Scientist: History, Beliefs, Practices.” Pages 489-93 in Handbook of Religion: A Christian Engagement with Traditions, Teachings, and Practices. Edited by Terry C. Muck, Harold A. Netland, and Gerald R. McDermott. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014.

This essay on Christian Science is one of dozens of descriptive introductions of various religions and their relation to evangelical Christianity. A few of them, such as this entry, are followed by an essay written by an adherent of the religion. Simmons’s essay also includes three ‘study aids’: The Christian Science Timeline, Christian Science Beliefs, and Current Issues. Simmons claims that “the story of the Christian Science movement has as much to reveal about the spiritual yearning of Americans as it does about the complexities and nuances of American culture” (489). He notes that the ‘Christian’ element in Christian Science involves a radical reinterpretation of Jesus and his role in the New Testament. Although many of Mary Baker Eddy’s detractors scoffed at her theology, she stressed the practical nature of her understanding of the Bible. It was in ordinary human challenges that the ideas of God appeared as a practical manifestation of changed thought, and healing thus became a focus of the religion. Strict rules governing the Christian Science movement appear in the Church Manual, as well as the provision for several important positions, including nurses. Christian Science nurses do not dispense medicine but are trained to provide care.

ISBN-10: 080103776X
ISBN-13: 978-0801037764

See also annotation: 

“Church of Christ, Scientist: Adherent Essay” by Shirley Paulson.