“Religious Healing in 19th century ‘New Religions’: The Cases of Tenrikyo and Christian Science”

Becker, Carl B. “Religious Healing in 19th century ‘New Religions’: The Cases of Tenrikyo and Christian Science.” Religion 20, no. 3 (1990): 199-215. 

Becker, philosopher, educator, and resident of Japan for almost 40 years, finds striking similarities between two religious movements: Japan’s Tenrikyo and America’s Christian Science. Both originated in the 19^th century—a time of great change, and grew into international movements. Becker details how each of the two women founders, Miki Nakayama and Mary Baker Eddy, rebelled as youth against conservative religious forces, struggled with their health, spent much seeking cures, and at times lived in dire poverty. Ultimately each would become great healers, placing healing at the heart of their theologies. Both women would write unorthodox works on theology and establish religious practices for their followers—Nakayama’s based on Shinto-like ritual and Eddy’s on “a science of mind” (204). And because their followers left traditional temples and churches, both women were harassed by opponents until their deaths at age 90. Becker explores commonalities and differences in their unconventional theologies and codified methods of healing. Both would deny people’s helplessness to change their fate because of God’s love for them; and see disease as not of the body, but a misuse of the human mind which is cured by a change of heart and mind, with the help of divine power.

ISSN: 1096-1151
Print ISSN: 0048-721X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-721X(90)90165-3

See also annotations: 

A Precious Legacy: Christian Science Comes to Japan by Emi Abiko

Women of History: Miyo Matsukata by The Mary Baker Eddy Library