The fact of Christian Science healing

On page 149 of Spiritual Healing in a Scientific Age, Peel refers to the Bible story of Jesus and the ten lepers, saying that it still has its point. What is that point? Only one returned to give thanks. I will copy the story from the King James Version of the Bible – Luke 17:11-19.

And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there no ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Peel points out that there many, many Christian Science healings which have not been recorded in the Christian Science periodicals by those healed. He has heard expressions of great gratitude for remarkable healings and asked if the person has submitted it for publication. More often than not, this has not been done. (Ed. See page 149.)

Which reminds me that at the back of his book, in a chapter entitled Personal Testament, Peel, perhaps a little shamefacedly, says, in a letter to a friend, “I’ve never got around to bearing witness to my own firsthand experience with this subject—not in writing, at any rate” (p. 183). Readers of this blog will appreciate this family’s testimonies of remarkable healings. Peel even tells us of his “period of  healthy skepticism” (p. 183) about the teachings of Christian Science. He also says, “But one thing I could never for one moment doubt, even at my most skeptical, was the fact of Christian Science healing” (p. 184).

On page 150 we read about the training required for a person to be ready for recognition as a Christian Science practitioner. He is aware that some critics assume that the full training consists of two weeks Class Instruction from a teacher of Christian Science. Peel quotes from the Journal of Pastoral Counseling (Vol 4, Iss. 1 Spring 1969, p. 40):

The training for this task begins with the individual’s first commitment to the study of Christian Science. Basically this is a self-conducted study, centred on the Bible and the Christian Science textbook Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. From the outset it imposes a strict discipline on the serious student. The Word made flesh, he is emphatically reminded; the abstract must become concrete, understanding be tested in healing, ontological concepts be related to life situations, if he is to make any real progress.

At some point he must complete a short course of intensive instruction from an authorized teacher of Christian Science, but the chief and continuing emphasis is on his daily practice of a discipline which includes the demand for practical results as well as for prayer, study, application, and spiritual growth. There is no resting satisfied with the advancement made at any given point, since nothing less than the New Testament record of instantaneous healing is the standard of achievement held before him.

There is a little superscript ¹ at the end of that piece which takes one to the Notes at the back of the book. It turns out that Peel is quoting himself. It reads: Robert Peel, “The Christian Science Practitioner” in Journal of Pastoral Counseling.

Joyce Voysey