Ask a Researcher
Answers to questions our research team has received.
Architects Behind the Buildings of the Christian Science Plaza
Several architects were involved in the design of the buildings on the Christian Science Plaza. The Original Edifice of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, was completed in December 1894. Franklin Welch of Malden, Massachusetts, was the architect with a little...
Mary Baker Eddy’s Vision of the Role of Her Church in the World
Featured below, an article written by Library researcher Mike Davis for theChristian Science Sentinel, "Church that Embodies the Healing Christ Today."
Did Mary Baker Eddy write it? “A Treatment for Every Day”
Read about what seems to be a compilation of several different items.
The Significance of the Manual of The Mother Church
To best answer this inquiry, we can point you toward an article in The Christian Science Journal that served as an introduction to a series of articles on theManual.
Article VIII, Section 15: “Church Organizations Ample” and Article VIII, Section 16, “Joining Another Society”
To best answer this inquiry, we can point you towards an article in The Christian Science Journal that discusses the balance between Christian Scientists' duties to the Church and their participation in other organizations.
Article X, Section 1: “No Unauthorized Debating”
To best answer this inquiry, we can point you toward an article in The Christian Science Journal that examines the origin of this provision and its historical context at the turn of the last century.
Article XXII: “Relation and Duties of Members to Pastor Emeritus”
To best answer this inquiry, we can point you toward an article in The Christian Science Journal that highlights sections of the Manual that speak to Eddy's continuing role in Christian Science.
The Significance of Mary Baker Eddy’s Carriage
To best answer this question, we can point you toward an article in The Christian Science Journal published during the Library's exhibition, Private Carriage, Public Journey.
The Origination of the Quote “Sculptors of Life are We.”
We are often asked about the poem Mary Baker Eddy quotes on page 7 in her sermon The People’s Idea of God. The poem was apparently first published in the periodical Missionary Herald in 1851 under the title “A Beautiful Thought,” at which time the byline appeared as...
The Development of “The Scientific Statement of Being”
The question “What is the scientific statement of being?” is found in the chapter “Recapitulation” in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (page 468 in current editions). This statement is also read as part of every Christian Science Sunday...
What prompted the Church By-Law about illegal adoption?
Here’s the story leading up to Mary Baker Eddy’s instruction on illegal adoption in the “Manual of The Mother Church.”
What’s behind the marginal headings in Science and Health?
Mary Baker Eddy first considered using marginal headings in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures in 1889, and the 50th edition of the book (published in 1891) was the first to contain them.
How did the term “The Mother Church” come about?
The first documented use of this term is found in notes from March 5, 1889, taken by Joshua Bailey during one of Mary Baker Eddy’s classes in Christian Science healing.
Spotlight on Christian Science in Hollywood: “Missing”
The 1982 film Missing shares the true story of the disappearance of Charles Horman in Chile. Horman was a freelance journalist, whose writing credits include The Christian Science Monitor, and who was raised in Christian Science.
Did Mary Baker Eddy care about the environment?
Even though Eddy doesn’t fit her era’s image of an environmentalist, she still cared deeply for the environment. She loved animals and nature, and believed that the beauty of the natural world was a reflection of the beauty and majesty of God.
