Article March 22, 1947 Issue

The Science and Art of True Living

ELOISE PATTILLO HENDRICK

Through her divinely inspired writings Mary Baker Eddy has made a permanent contribution to spiritual research by explaining certain significant terms in their highest sense. For example, she gives Principle as one of the synonyms for God in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." and also uses it in this way in her other works.

On page 507 of Science and Health appears the arresting sentence, "This divine Principle of all expresses Science and art throughout His creation, and the immortality of man and the universe." Science we understand to be the exact knowledge of God and His creation. Art, according to a dictionary definition, is "the practical application of knowledge or natural ability." The same dictionary makes this interesting observation: "Art always relates to something to be done, science to something to be known." With what perception Mrs. Eddy couples the terms "Science" and "art" in the foregoing passage from Science and Health! Science and art—spiritual knowledge and its demonstration—are expressed throughout His perfect creation by Principle.

Man, who is created by God, therefore reflects the perfection, beauty, completeness, law, indestructibility, and intelligence that characterize the divine Principle of Science and art. Man as the manifestation of Mind knows spiritual reality and expresses it. Proportionately as we apprehend these spiritual facts regarding man's identity, we begin to eliminate the crude and discordant details of mortal belief and image forth our perfect nature as God's idea.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Does Prayer Really Save?