Vital Issues in Christian Science: A Record of Unsettled Questions which arose in the Year 1909, between the Directors of The Mother Church and First Church of Christ, Scientist, New York City

Stetson, Augusta E. Vital Issues in Christian Science: A Record of Unsettled Questions which arose in the Year 1909, between the Directors of The Mother Church and First Church of Christ, Scientist, New York City. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1914.

Stetson’s 405-page book is compiled by the New York City Christian Science Institute, with Stetson as its Principal, and serves as her defense against her excommunication from The Mother Church and her New York Church. The Christian Science Board of Directors’s seven accusations against Stetson are that she: 1) claims her New York Church is the only legitimate Christian Science Church in NYC; 2) teaches an erroneous sense of Christian Science in its application to human needs; 3) endeavors to exercise control over her students and; 4) obtrudes herself upon the attention of her students; 5) treats persons without their request, contrary to Science and Health; 6) attempts to control persons by mental means; 7) is not fit for work of teacher of Christian Science. The New York Church Committee of Inquiry report to their church ended up “entirely vindicating Mrs. Stetson” (1). The Report raised five issues: the rights 1) of branch churches to local self-government; 2) of individual spiritual interpretation of the scriptures and of Science and Health and other writings by Mary Baker Eddy; 3) to address persons in self-defense against mental attack by suggestion or otherwise; 4) of everyone to a fair trial; 5) to maintain the spiritual purity, sublimity, and healing power of genuine Christian Science.

ISBN-10: 1357054025
ISBN-13: 978-1357054021

This reference is written by an ‘independent’ Christian Scientist and is included in the bibliography because of its historical value. For further explanation, click here.