Article July 21, 1934 Issue

What is Christian Science?

Extracts from an address before the Cleveland Community Religious Hour, April 29, 1934, by Carl Walter Gehring, Committee on Publication for Ohio

What is Christian Science? Science, as we know, means knowledge; so Christian Science signifies Christian knowledge. An earnest Christian Scientist puts himself to the task of gaining knowledge of the Christ. Here I should explain that in Christian Science Jesus and Christ are not regarded as synonymous. In Science and Health (p. 589) "Jesus" is defined as, "The highest human corporeal concept of the divine idea, rebuking and destroying error and bringing to light man's immortality." In the same book (p. 583) "Christ" is defined as, "The divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error." So Jesus preëminently understood the divine manifestation of God—the Christ—and used it to heal all manner of ills. Christ is the title of Jesus. It is the Christ which the Christian Scientist seeks to understand. When Jesus said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also," he meant—it is our firm conviction—that declaration to refer to any person, at any time; then, and for all time to come. Paul declared in his letter to the Philippians, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."

The teaching of Christian Science shows that ignorance of the true God causes sickness. Pure, universal understanding of God, which Jesus possessed, will eliminate sickness, want, and woe. Jesus overcame material laws. These laws are beliefs based on material sense testimony, pertaining to climate, diet, infection, contagion, heredity, and so on. Jesus claimed no power of his own, but gave credit to God for the cures he effected. Christian Scientists give credit to God for the good that attends their prayers.

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