Article November 21, 1964 Issue

"Interpreting the Word"

EDWIN M. CALLENDER

The rich legacy of Christian Science is available to all. We can, however, know only in smallest measure the labor of love and the diligence which Mrs. Eddy gave to the writing of Science and Health and her other published works. The discovery of Christian Science required spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures and a new tongue whereby to impart the Word. Our Leader describes this when she says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 364): "Interpreting the Word in the 'new tongue,' whereby the sick are healed, naturally evokes new paraphrase from the world of letters."

She was careful to have the words she used in her writings properly elucidate the meaning of the Word, as this term is used for the spiritual teaching of the Bible. Unless words accomplish this purpose, they obscure Scriptural teaching.

Mrs. Eddy had to give higher spiritual meanings to words that the communication of them might brings spiritual light into places where material darkness dwelt. She must have considered that the dictionary was fundamental to the definition. Above this, she was led to provide a Glossary in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," which gives the spiritual sense of Bible words. Mrs. Eddy writes concerning this Glossary (p. 579): "In Christian Science we learn that the substitution of the spiritual for the material definition of a Scriptural word often elucidates the meaning of the inspired writer. On this account this chapter is added."

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