“And O’er Earth’s Troubled, Angry Sea”: The History of Christian Science in the United States (Variorum Collected Studies)

Christian Science is one of the most unique and controversial of American religions, but there has never been a history of this influential metaphysical group, best known for its healing through prayer.Most attention has previously focused on the church’s founder, Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910).This compilation of nine previously published scholarly articles, buttressed by additional insight presented in the preface, introduction, and conclusion, should lead to further investigation of this compelling topic. This volume investigates the origins of the Christian Science movement, illustrates how Eddy’s students -- mainly women -- helped its rapid spread through healings, how Eddy guided and restrained her students, examines some denominational growing pains, underscores how The Mother Church in Boston and Eddy’s Church Manual evolved, recounts dozens of testimonies of healing, and shows how local, or branch, churches operated before and after Eddy’s passing.Contrary to previous assumptions