Resources by Harragin Hussey, Robin

In 1953, Anglican church leaders created a commission of clergy and doctors seeking a clearer understanding of divine healing, its role in their ministry, and their relationship with medical practitioners. The final report grounded it in the medical sciences and found little common ground between spiritual healing and the Anglican Church’s embedding of its healing ministry in the ritual and creed of the Church.

Hussey examines how Christian Science guided and sustained Nancy Astor as the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons in 1919. Her political career of 26 years focused on temperance and support of women and children. Astor found healing by reading Mary Baker Eddy’s textbook, and with her husband, founded Ninth Church of Christ, Scientist, London.

…Parliament in the UK in the early 20th century, and how their Christian Science faith sustained and guided them. These three women, Nancy Astor (the very first woman in Parliament),…

Harragin argues against Rodney Stark’s assertion that Christian Science has failed in part because it could not compete with the revolution in medicine post World War II. But, using French sociologist Régis Dericqubourg’s position that Christian Science is a restructuring of Christianity and the prototype of healing churches, Harragin concludes Christian Scientists are still rising to the challenge posed by their spiritual worldview.