Article May 18, 1912 Issue

The teachings of Christian Science relative to Jesus the...

John L. Rendall

Manchester (Ia.) Press

The teachings of Christian Science relative to Jesus the Christ, and with respect to his relationship to God, are more satisfactory, reasonable, logical, and practical from the view-point of Christian Scientists, than are those of what is called orthodox theology. "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy throws a light upon the Scriptures which reveals their true, spiritual meaning and which makes them practical to the needs of humanity. I have not attempted to state that these teachings do not conflict with so-called orthodox ideas, but on the contrary I have stated, and I reassert the statement, that they are Scriptural and Christian, entirely consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ and with the practical example given us in the lives of the apostles and the early Christians.

Christian Scientists do not reject a "personal God," our critic's statement to the contrary notwithstanding. Mrs. Eddy has consistently taught that God is infinite, and in Science and Health (p. 336), she states, "God is individual and personal in a scientific sense, but not in any anthropomorphic sense," and on page 587 the following definition of God is given: "The great I am; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal; Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all substance; intelligence." This is the God of Christian Science; and, to use St. Paul's words, "in him we live, and move, and have our being." For the critic to state that this God is an "abstract principle" is simply to substantiate our opinion that he does not in the least understand Christian Science. The Bible states that "God is love." Does the Christian Science reiteration of this declaration take anything from the nature and character of God? It must be evident to all thinking people that God is Truth, and we are plainly informed in the Bible that God is Spirit and that God is Life. Thus it is evident that a play upon these words for the purpose of discrediting Christian Science must fail of its purpose, when it is understood that Christian Scientists intelligently recognize the one infinite Life, Truth, Love, Spirit, Mind Principle to be synonymous with God, whom they love and endeavor to serve.

The question, "And who is Mrs. Eddy's Christ?" is best answered by her definition of Christ, as given in Science and Health, namely, "The divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error;" "Christ is the ideal Truth, that comes to heal sickness and sin through Christian Science, and attributes all power to God. Jesus is the name of the man who, more than all other men, has presented Christ, the true idea of God, healing the sick and the sinning and destroying the power of death. Jesus is the human man, and Christ is the divine idea; hence the duality of Jesus the Christ" (pp. 583, 473).

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