“‘Our Cause . . . Does Not Need Advertising, but Protection’: The Christian Science Movement Regroups, 1908–1910”

Swensen, Rolf. “‘Our Cause . . . Does Not Need Advertising, but Protection’: The Christian Science Movement Regroups, 1908–1910.” Journal of the Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religion 10, no. 1 (2004): 29-79. 

Swensen documents the “crusade” of Alfred Farlow, Manager of the Committees on Publication during Mary Baker Eddy’s final years (1908 – 1910), to protect the growing Christian Science Church from outside attacks, and also “muzzle and redirect the faithful” (29) who, in Farlow’s words, were inclined to unrestrained “misguided zeal” (33). Swensen sees the “Farlow-induced protective and uniform stance” (48) as casting a long shadow over the content of future church periodicals (47), and the reason why members have since shown a deep reticence for personal outreach. Swensen also documents the founding of The Christian Science Monitor as not only an antidote to yellow journalism, but as a kind of impersonal missionary, giving the movement a “more subtle visibility” (37), a respectable “outside opening wedge” (38), and “centrally orchestrated from Boston” (40). While the Monitor fulfilled its public mission, the members were to focus not on personality but their healing work—they needed to be both “galvanized and yet restrained” (43). Due to Farlow’s influence in the “bureaucratization of charisma” (59), Swensen sees that “members rapidly evolved into quiet cadres marching in uniform order to a beat orchestrated from Boston” (51)—this acquiescence resulting in a steady decline and ossification after WWII.

ISSN: 1545-7338

See also annotation: 

“Charisma and Covenant: The Christian Science Movement in its Initial Postcharismatic Phase by John Simmons”