Mary Baker Eddy
discovered Christian Science and founded the Church of Christ, Scientist, which
came into national and international prominence in the late nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries. She also established The Christian Science
Publishing Society (CSPS) and The
Christian Science Monitor during a period of unprecedented growth in
American mass media.
The Mary Baker
Eddy Library (MBEL) houses the organizational records of the church, as well as
materials that document the work of CSPS. These include an extensive collection
of pamphlets, periodicals, articles, and related materials from a vast
assortment of publishers and sources. These comprise the Non-CSPS Publications
and Serials Collection.
The majority
of the materials in the Non-CSPS Collection directly reference and relate to
Christian Science and Eddy. Some materials written by Christian Scientists
involve theological and metaphysical writings intended primarily for a
Christian Scientist audience but published outside the official church publications
of the CSPS. Most items written by Christian Scientists had the aim of
presenting the Christian Scientist viewpoint to a lay audience, often in
response to outside criticism.
In addition to
those writings by church members, numerous items in the Non-CSPS Collection,
both supportive and critical, were written by and for people who were not
Christian Scientists. Prominent supportive articles present in the collection
include those written by the Progressive Era editor and journalist B. O. Flower
and published in his magazines The Arena and
Twentieth Century Magazine. Critical
publications include the entire run of a McClure’s
Magazine serial biography titled “Mary Baker G. Eddy: The Story of Her
Life, and the History of Christian Science,” attributed to Georgine Milmine.
Also present are numerous theological tracts and articles arguing against
Christian Science from an orthodox Christian viewpoint.
Additional
items in the collection include diverse cultural investigations of Christian
Science, such as an article in the November 1950 issue of Ebony magazine about Christian Science in African-American
communities, as well as architectural accounts of Christian Science churches.
Materials on Eddy include traditional profiles of her role as a prominent woman
in American history, as well as more eclectic materials such as a page
featuring her in a book of paper dolls, by artist Tom Tierney, that highlights
“Famous American Women.”
Materials not
directly related to Christian Science cover themes that include general
religious topics, social issues, current events, and history. These often give
context to Eddy’s life and the historical context of Christian Science.
For example, legal publications on religion in schools, the operation of parochial schools, and
legislation affecting medical freedom would all have been of potential interest
to Christian Scientists without necessarily applying directly to their
individual situations. While the relevance of these materials to prior
custodians of historical materials at the church has been lost, their presence
in a collection that has been maintained throughout the twentieth century
nevertheless helps to establish connections with areas of study relevant to the
MBEL’s collecting criteria.
The bulk of the
materials in the Non-CSPS Collection date from 1880 to 2000 and are published
in English. Some exist in other languages, particularly French and German, and
represent the growing international presence of a religion first established in
America. Materials were largely published in the United States, Canada, Great
Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The collection developed largely
out of materials sent to regional church representatives, such as Christian
Science Committees on Publication, or bodies created to respond to public
misconceptions of Christian Science. It represents a collaborative collecting
project intended to develop an understanding of a complex cultural institution.
For a movement
and institution that has been so prominently in the public eye as Christian
Science, it is necessary to understand public perception and media response to
the church movement as a whole. The Non-CSPS Collection is a vital resource
that can help researchers gain a multifaceted understanding of Christian
Science and its place in the wider contexts of religious and social history, as
well as the role of media in American life.