Skip to content
Csbibliography

Annotated Bibliography of Christian Science

Academic and Other Literature

  • Home
  • About
    • About the ABCS Project
    • Support Opportunities (Donate)
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Annotations
    • Search Information
    • Category Search
    • Keyword Search
    • Advanced Search
    • Standard Search
    • Authors/Editor List
    • Title List
    • Recently Added
    • Search Support
  • Resources
    • The Book
    • Online Resources
    • ABCS Blog
    • Suggest Resources
  • Contact
Annotation Resource

The History of The Christian Science Movement

The History of The Christian Science Movement

Johnson, William Lyman. The History of The Christian Science Movement, 2 vols. Brookline, MA: The Zion Research Foundation, 1926.

Lyman Johnson’s home life was dominated by his father’s devoted service to Mary Baker Eddy during the years she established her church. With numerous primary documents as well as his first-hand accounts of many of the events, Johnson answers questions that succeeding generations have wondered: why did Eddy disband her original church and the Metaphysical College?; why did Eddy create a church with a self-perpetuating Board of Directors?; why did Mrs. Woodbury and Mr. Nixon pose such threats to the church?  Johnson discusses Eddy’s responses to the internal power struggles, rivalry, plagiarism, and jealousy of those who first loved Christian Science, but then caused great troubles. Johnson’s History itself endured heavy editing and suppression. A couple of highlights that are nearly invisible in the 21st-century operation of the church include 1) the near obsession by Mr. Nixon, manager of the Publishing Society, with the publication of literature, and 2) the difficulty of becoming members of the new Christian Science church. Competition among spiritual healers became so intense, and Eddy endured defections and disloyalty to such an extent that she needed to take extra precautions to preserve her own teachings within the church.

Access these rare volumes on the Plainfield CS website:

The History of The Christian Science Movement, Volume One

The History of The Christian Science Movement, Volume Two

 

See also annotations:

Building of the Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist by Joseph Armstrong and Margaret Williamson

Mr. Dickey: Secretary to Mary Baker Eddy with Adam H. Dickey’s “Memoirs of Mary Baker Eddy” by Nancy Niblack Baxter

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

Johnson, William Lyman

Related Annotations:

Annotations related by category:
  • Availability: Online - Free
  • Official Christian Science Publication: No
  • Organizations: Longyear Museum
  • Organizations: Massachusetts Metaphysical College
  • Organizations: The First Church of Christ, Scientist
  • People: Eddy, Mary Baker
  • People: Gilman, James Franklin
  • People: Milmine, Georgine
  • People: Woodbury, Josephine
  • Publication Date: 1911-1955
  • Resource Types: Book
  • Subjects: Biographies and Chronologies
  • Subjects: Church Growth and Change
  • Subjects: Church Manual, Governance, Leadership
  • Subjects: Church Practices
  • Subjects: Religion
Annotations related by keyword:
  • Authorized
  • Bylaws
  • Church Business
  • Mind Cure
  • New Since the Book
  • Teaching
More by authors or editor(s):
  • Johnson, William Lyman

Comment on this resource: Cancel

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Home

Search application instructions and overview.

Search Support

Questions? We've got answers.

Category Search

Select subject, person, organization and/or controversy to provide a subset of annotation results. The results page includes the ability to further limit your search.

Keyword Search

Select one or more specific keywords to provide a subset of annotation results. The results page includes the ability to further limit your search.

Advanced Search

Select from all search options to obtain very specific results.

Standard Search

Might yield a mix of relevant and irrelevant results, but could be very helpful if you are looking for a specific term not included in any of the other types of searches.

Annotations by Author
Annotations by Title
Most Recent

View the 30 most recently added annotations.

New Since the Book

View new annotations available here that were not included in the book.

Suggest a Resource
Donate via PayPal

Scholarly Works on Christian Science is the nonprofit corporation that produces the ABCS website. We rely on donations to keep the bibliography updated and available to the public. If you find this site useful we hope you'll consider donating to support the work. Donate via PayPal by clicking the button above or send a check to:

Scholarly Works on Christian Science
420 Conway Meadows Drive
St. Louis, MO 63017

© 2022 and later by Scholarly Works on Christian Science, all rights reserved.

Privacy Policy is here. Cookie Policy is here. Comment Policy is here.

This material was printed from the Annotated Bibliography of Christian Science website produced and maintained by Scholarly Works on Christian Science (https://csbibliography.org). All rights reserved.