The Claims to Healing Made by Christian Science a Critique

Abstract

This thesis is in three sections: an introductory chapter surveying the contributory factors which gave rise to Christian Science as a healing cult taking into account the life and peculiarities of its founder, Mrs. Baker, Glover, Patterson, Eddy; a chapter on Mrs. Eddy's contact with Mesmerism through Phineas P. Quimby who writings and methods she adopted as her own; and, finally, a chapter wherein the doctrine of "Mind Healing" is evaluated as to its validity, limitations and possibilities. It is contended that the healing taught and practiced by Christian Science is nothing new but merely a reintroduction, under a different name, of the ancient practice of hypnotic suggestion which is, without doubt, effective in healing functional diseases. It is further contended, however, that Christian Science claims to healing of all diseases is fraught with real danger to life since its methods cannot heal organic disease, neither can it claim divine healing since its very philosophy is a denial of true Christianity as also of true Science.