Mary Baker Eddy: Founder, Christian Science

Smith, Louise A. Mary Baker Eddy: Founder, Christian Science. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1991.

This very readable 1991 biography offers a good introduction to the life and mission of Mary Baker Eddy for high school readers. Its source material is somewhat limited, however, based on only two references—J. S. Smaus’s Mary Baker Eddy: The Golden Days (1966) and Robert Peel’s three-volume biography of Mary Baker Eddy (1966–1977). Peel’s scholarly work lends historical balance to Smaus’s more hagiographic Golden Days. Smith’s volume fits well within the series American Women of Achievement, as it keeps the focus on Eddy’s accomplishments. Her long life was complicated, however, and many historical details and religious influences are necessarily glossed over. As a result, the book leaves the impression that Eddy’s successes—from her capacity to heal, to her book (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures), the establishment of a worldwide religion, and the publication of The Christian Science Monitor—arose largely from her personality. While Smith does acknowledge Eddy’s deep commitment to spiritual study and her lifelong desire to heal and help others, these underlying themes are less prominent than they are in Eddy’s own writings. [Note: a slightly altered version was published with the same title by Writings of Mary Baker Eddy, 1992.]

ISBN (Hardcover): 1555466524
ISBN (Softcover): 0791004325