To the average person, probably not a household word. But it's a useful term in Christian Science—a significant one—because it relates to that which is beyond, or in place of, matter. That God is Spirit and matter a false claim is a keystone in Christian Science.

Christian metaphysics conveys a sense of reality in accord with that held by Christ Jesus. This reality is composed of the goodness and presence of the infinite God, unchanging Love; it's evidenced in the wholeness and perfection of the universe and man, which God makes and embraces. This last sentence, in itself, is an example of a metaphysical statement. It refers to a realm that is not of matter and that is imperceptible to the senses. It is a Christianly metaphysical statement because it is demonstrable in human affairs, bringing about better health, ethics, and so on, in the way Jesus did.

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,"¹ he said. The truth referred to is metaphysical truth. Truth frees because it liberates us from material misconceptions, the source of pain, disease, and all wrong. Only that which clarifies God's allness and man's purity can really liberate. Knowing the truth with spirituality and conviction brings the realization, along with the proof, that man is already free of materiality and its woes. The application of Christian metaphysics to suffering and troubles is empowered by the Christ, the activity and healing omnipresence of Truth.

Christian Science metaphysics is not merely speculation about Spirit and spiritual reality but the statement of that reality, the expression of it in comprehendible human language. Conveying the one and only truth of nonmaterial and immortal being, this metaphysics is rooted in divine Truth and authorized by Truth.

The new Christian Scientist soon finds that he needs to understand the metaphysics of this teaching to demonstrate it consistently. He or she shouldn't be put off by the unfamiliarity of either the term or the concept. Indicating the straightforward nature of metaphysics and its tremendous importance, Mary Baker Eddy says: "Divine metaphysics is that which treats of the existence of God, His essence, relations, and attributes. A sneer at metaphysics is a scoff at Deity; at His goodness, mercy, and might." She continues, "Christian Science is the unfolding of true metaphysics; that is, of Mind, or God, and His attributes."²

So this healing system is founded on a metaphysical basis. What is meant by this? If we're faced by illness, then we need to look beyond the evidence of the senses, which may seem to be transmitting to us information about, say, fever and swelling. We need to see that this information has nothing whatsoever to do with "God, His essence, relations, and attributes." It is in fact in direct opposition to His unchanging goodness. Metaphysics reveals the truth of the situation because it shows us the nature of Deity, the presence and love of God, and the character of man, His reflection unfailingly expressing Him.

The metaphysical approach powerfully puts down fear. Fear always rests on antimetaphysical bases. It comes from suggestions that man is mortal, frail, and vulnerable. It's the consequence of these claims being accepted as truth and obsessively mulled over. Christian metaphysics is the antidote. It exposes the falsity of sense arguments, regardless of how persuasive they may seem to be. Metaphysics reveals the present facts of the situation, reassuring us of the presence of good and the absence of anything that is not good. It relieves us of confusion and anxiety, providing the specific truth about particular concepts of God and man.

Metaphysics understood, lived, applied, eliminates discord. It heals. It shows divine perfection as the immediate reality. This is the truth that frees us from disease and confirms the validity of Jesus' promise that knowing the truth liberates. Our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, writes, "Through Christ, Truth, divine metaphysics points the way, demonstrates heaven here,—the struggle over, and victory on the side of Truth."³

To understand the metaphysics of Christian Science takes careful study of the Bible and of Mrs. Eddy's writings. It demands that we carefully ponder the truths announced in those books. It needs our prayerful awareness, our affirmations that omniscient, divine intelligence is the only kind of consciousness that really is. It requires a willingness to subordinate physical evidence to divine facts, and the consistent aim to make the metaphysics we are learning practical hour by hour.

When one has even a glimpse of what it means to be made free through knowing the metaphysical truth, then these demands are not tedious chores. They are marvelous privileges that we shouldn't delay enjoying. The understanding of divine metaphysics is not a luxury, or a minor bonus of Christian Science, but necessity, challenge, and limitless satisfaction.

Geoffrey J. Barratt