Scientific revolution

Ah! My old friend A Century of Christian Science Healing. All old friends do not get to be so ragged as this book. My copy has been much used as can be observed from the condition of the dust cover. (When I got this book, I hadn't yet begun the practice of covering my new books with plastic - a wonderful idea, for I love to keep the covers on the books.)

If you were to turn to the printer's end pages (at the back of the book), you would find my recording of the healings and their page numbers. How I longed for an index to this book.

Of course, the book was produced in 1966, a full century after Mary Baker Eddy's discovery of the Science of Christianity in 1866. It is of interest that this week we have noted the sesquicentennial (150th year) since that discovery.

In the Foreword, the Christian Science Board of Directors state: "This book has been prepared under the supervision of Christian Science Church's Committees on Publication" (page x). I had been under the impression that church historian Robert Peel compiled the book and was responsible for the final chapter, but a contributor to Wikipedia says that he was responsible for a "significant editorial contribution". 

I believe we have talked about Robert Peel on this blog site on at least one previous occasion. On checking under "Robert Peel" I see some comments were published on November 4, 2012. I found the comments interesting - perhaps others will too - and easy to find on the blog.

Robert Peel was ever on a quest to have the "scientific" world recognize Christian Science for what it is. 

I am reminded that recently, in my consecutive reading of Mrs. Eddy's Prose Works, I came to this, from Miscellaneous Writings p. 25:32:

"No human hypotheses, whether philosophy, medicine, or religion, can survive the wreck of time; but whatever is of God, hath life abiding in it, and ultimately will be known as self-evident truth, as demonstrable as mathematics."

Shortly afterwards, I found a beautiful passage in a lecture by William P. McKenzie in the bound volume of The Christian Science Journal 1899. The lecture (published April 1899) was titled "The Health-giving Theology of Christian Science." Here is the passage:

"Because of the benefits they have received from Christian Science, its adherents are eager to have others understand it. They are certain that when understood, Christian Science will be accepted universally as scientific astronomy."

Then a friend pointed me to Dr. Laurance Doyle's talk at Arden Woods, as presented on YouTube (Scientific Healing - a Talk by Laurance Doyle; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRB1mNyTdtg).

Doyle is an astrophysicist. He is a devoted student of Christian Science and says in his talk that he reads Mrs. Eddy's work Science and Health as "science and reality". He speaks of the "scientific" world's estimate of Mrs. Eddy and her discovery of Christian Science through the years as follows: in the 19th century a revolution in religion; in the 20th century a somewhat revolution in medicine and healing; and in this century he expects the scientific journals to give her recognition as a revolutionary in science. "It will be, if my little crusade is effective," he says.

Joyce Voysey