In her true light ...

Readers of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures may be interested to know that the book's publishing history includes more than 400 printings, spanning over 30 years during author Mary Baker Eddy's lifetime. The last major revision was published in 1907. We've included below two versions of the same passage from two different editions of Science and Health. This passage relates to this week's Sentinel theme of art and creativity. These excerpts show the development of just one of the ideas Mary Baker Eddy conveyed in her primary work.

"The artist is not in his painting; the picture is a thought of his, an emanation of Spirit, not matter; the Creator is not what he creates. The potter is not in the clay, but has power over the clay; God produces his own personality, and cannot get into it, because it is in Him the circumference and infinite Soul outside of matter and man." First edition of Science and Health (1875) p. 20 

"The artist is not in his painting. The picture is the artist's thought objectified. The human belief fancies that it delineates thought on matter, but what is matter? Did it exist prior to thought? Matter is made up of supposititious mortal mind-force; but all might is divine Mind. Thought will finally be understood and seen in all form, substance, and color, but without material accompaniments. The potter is not in the clay; else the clay would have power over the potter. God is His own infinite Mind, and expresses all." Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (current edition) p. 310

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