From Hawthorne Hall: An Historical Study 1885

Johnson, William Lyman. From Hawthorne Hall: An Historical Study 1885. Dorchester, MA: The Homewood Press, 1922.

This little-known history of the growth and reception of Christian Science in a pivotal year, 1885, is told through a fictional literary framework. A wealthy couple in New York, worried about the health of their invalid daughter, struggles with the option to provide Christian Science treatment. Although still under the care of her parents and the beloved family doctor, when the daughter comes of age to make her own decisions, she is introduced to Christian Science. The fictional setting allows for all three family members to address the most pressing sources of opposition to Christian Science that are now of historical relevance. The value of this account is that most history recorded of that period is derived from Mary Baker Eddy or her closest supporters, but this is a rare account of reception history. The most significant issue the fictional family faced was sorting out the conflicting sources of information to find the correct theological teaching that would result in genuine healing. Seeking the truth formed the foundation for the daughter’s full healing. As the family sorted through the controversies and embraced Eddy’s healing system, they  also experienced the impact of the early decisions involved in Eddy’s development of her church and movement.

ISBN-10: ‎1355969409
ISBN-13: 978-1355969402

See also annotations:

“A Metaphysical Rocket in Gotham: The Rise of Christian Science in New York City, 1885-1910” by Rolf Swensen 

Faith in the Great Physician: Suffering and Divine Healing in American Culture, 1860–1900, by Heather Curtis