Bicknell Young -- on Christian Science lectures

Ed. Readers may have discovered a section on the Mary Baker Eddy Library website called From the Collections.

In this section of the Library, our faithful correspondent, Joyce Voysey, recently discovered the following interesting information about early Christian Scientist, Bicknell Young (1856-1938), a man with whom many seasoned students of this Science may have had some acquaintance through his writings. Note that it is probable that some work attributed to Young may be falsely represented as his, and readers are encouraged to read the excellent article about this at https://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/research/what-do-we-know-about-writings-attributed-to-bicknell-young/

Joyce brings the following information to our attention:

From the Collections: A rich portrait of Bicknell Young

             Why was Bicknell Young regarded as such an effective lecturer? “Young had not the native humor and wit of [Edward] Kimball,” McCrackan* wrote candidly, “nor his faculty for springing a joke on the audience at a tense moment when its receptivity to the deep things of metaphysics was stretched to the breaking point, but Young brought to his work much polished culture, a generous vocabulary, and a pleasing presence.” But McCrackan went on to explain that there was more to it than just that: 

This was true healing work. Kimball and Young both understood that a Christian Science lecture ought not to be a lecture about Christian Science, but ought to be Christian Science itself, uttered and demonstrated.

Joyce Voysey

Ed. * A biographical sketch of Bicknell Young was written by Christian Scientist William D. McCrackan and is quoted from in the MBE Library article quoted here.