Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910) was the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist, also known as Christian Science. Her teachings, which she developed in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, emphasize the mind's power over matter, healing through spiritual understanding, and a reinterpretation of traditional Christian doctrines. Eddy's teachings diverge significantly from confessional Christianity, particularly in her understanding of God, Jesus, salvation, and the nature of reality.
Key Beliefs and How They Differ from Confessional Christianity
1. Beliefs about God and Reality:
- Mary Baker Eddy's View: Eddy taught that God is an impersonal, infinite Mind, and that the true nature of reality is spiritual, not material. According to Christian Science, all that truly exists is the divine Mind, and what people perceive as physical reality, including sickness, pain, and even death, is an illusion or error of the human mind. Eddy rejected the traditional Christian understanding of God as a personal, relational being and instead taught that God is an abstract Principle or force.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that God is a personal, sovereign, and transcendent being who created the physical universe and sustains it (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 45:5-7). The Westminster Confession of Faith affirms that God is not only infinite and eternal but also personal, having revealed Himself in Scripture as a triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Reformed theology emphasizes that God is intimately involved with His creation, upholding all things by His power (Hebrews 1:3).
2. Beliefs about Jesus Christ:
- Mary Baker Eddy's View: Eddy distinguished between “Jesus” and the “Christ,” teaching that Jesus was merely a human who demonstrated the “Christ idea” or divine principle of God’s mind. She denied the deity of Jesus, His physical resurrection, and the traditional understanding of the atonement. According to Eddy, Jesus’ mission was to reveal humanity's inherent spiritual nature and the illusionary nature of sin, sickness, and death, rather than to die as a substitute for sinners.
- Confessional Christianity: Reformed theology and confessional Christianity affirm that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the second person of the Trinity who took on human flesh (John 1:1, 14). The Bible teaches that Jesus’ death was a substitutionary atonement for sin, and His bodily resurrection is the cornerstone of Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The Westminster Confession emphasizes that Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection were necessary to redeem humanity from sin and death, contrasting with Eddy’s denial of these essential doctrines.
3. Salvation and Healing:
- Mary Baker Eddy's View: In Christian Science, salvation is achieved through the realization that sin, sickness, and death are illusions that can be overcome through spiritual understanding and right thinking. Eddy taught that as individuals grow in their understanding of divine Mind, they can experience healing and freedom from physical ailments. This view minimizes the concept of sin as rebellion against God and instead treats it as a misunderstanding or false belief.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Bible presents sin as a real and serious offense against a holy God, and it emphasizes that salvation involves repentance, faith in Jesus’ atoning work, and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit (Romans 3:23; Acts 2:38). The Westminster Confession of Faith rejects any teaching that denies the reality of sin or the necessity of Christ's redemptive work for salvation.
4. The Role of Scripture:
- Mary Baker Eddy's View: Eddy claimed that the Bible is a valuable but imperfect document, requiring her own writings in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures to unlock its true, hidden meanings. She believed that her interpretations were divinely inspired and essential for understanding the spiritual truths that the Bible allegedly contains. As a result, Science and Health is treated as an authoritative text alongside the Bible within Christian Science.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity upholds the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Westminster Confession of Faith teaches that Scripture is complete, sufficient, and the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. Reformed theology rejects any claim that additional writings or revelations are necessary to understand or supplement God’s Word.
5. Denial of Physical Reality and Miraculous Healing:
- Mary Baker Eddy's View: Eddy taught that sickness and physical ailments are illusions that can be corrected through spiritual understanding. Christian Science practitioners are trained to use “spiritual treatment” rather than medical care, believing that true healing comes from recognizing the non-reality of disease. This approach often leads followers to reject medical interventions, relying solely on prayer and metaphysical techniques for healing.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity acknowledges that God can and does heal, but it does not teach that sickness is an illusion. Instead, the Bible presents sickness and suffering as part of the fallen world (Romans 8:20-23) and encourages believers to seek both prayer and medical treatment (James 5:14; Luke 10:34). The Westminster Confession emphasizes God’s sovereignty over all aspects of life, including health, and rejects the notion that physical reality is an illusion.
Summary of Differences
Mary Baker Eddy’s teachings on Christian Science promote a worldview that denies the reality of sin, sickness, and death, emphasizing mind over matter and spiritual enlightenment as the path to healing and salvation. Her teachings reinterpret Jesus, the atonement, and Scripture in ways that diverge sharply from the core doctrines of confessional Christianity.
In contrast, confessional Christianity upholds the personal nature of God, the deity and atoning work of Christ, the reality of sin, and the authority of Scripture as the ultimate guide for faith and life. Eddy’s teachings, while appealing to those who seek a metaphysical or mind-centered approach to spirituality, lack the biblical grounding, doctrinal clarity, and emphasis on the gospel that are central to Reformed theology and historic Christian orthodoxy.