Core beliefs

Christian Scientists believe in one, infinite God who is All and all-good. They believe that God is not distant and unknowable, but that God is all-encompassing and always present, and that each individual is loved by God, cared for by Him, and made in God’s image—spiritual, not material.

Christian Scientists believe in the Bible and in Christ Jesus as the Son of God, or promised Messiah. And they believe that Jesus’ teachings and healing work expressed scientific Christianity, or the application of the laws of God—laws which are still practical and provable today, by anyone, anywhere. Christian Scientists consider the Commandments, as well as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, to be central to their lives and practice of Christianity.

Above all, Christian Scientists believe in the saving, healing power of God’s love—that no one is beyond redemption, that no problem is too entrenched or overwhelming to be addressed and healed. In other words, Christian Scientists don’t believe that salvation occurs at some point in the future, but that the presence of God’s goodness can be experienced here and now—and by everyone.

One of the best ways to learn more about Christian Science is to explore the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  It is available in our Reading Room.

 Click here for answers to frequently asked questions on Christian Science.  FAQs

About the Church of Christ, Scientist

The church was founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879 to further the spiritual method of healing practiced by Christ Jesus and the early Christians. The Church of Christ, Scientist, consists of The First Church of Christ, Scientist (The Mother Church - the hub of the international Christian Science community, in Boston, MA, USA) and of branch churches and societies around the world. They are united in working to fulfill Eddy's vision of a church which makes Jesus' works more universally understood and practiced.  

How is your church organized and governed?

Local branch churches are democratically run, while The Mother Church and its activities are stewarded by a five-person Board of Directors. The Board is responsible for overseeing a range of activities including an international Board of Lectureship, a Board of Education, Church membership, and the publishing of Mary Baker Eddy’s writings. Guiding the Church’s global ministry is a simple 100-page Church Manual which reflects Eddy’s vision of a Church living by the Golden Rule and unencumbered by too much human organization.

What is your Church doing for the world?

For a small denomination, we are quite active on many fronts. Christian Scientists pray each day for the world and many church members are involved in the public practice of Christian Science healing. We publish numerous magazines and support an international news organization, The Christian Science Monitor. We open our doors to children and teens at Christian Science Sunday Schools for classes and discussions about the Bible every Sunday. The Mother Church and its branches also sponsor public talks on Christian Science that address both personal and global issues. In addition to supporting these and other activities, our members participate actively in community service and contribute to many public charities and causes.

What are your church services like?

Many people attending a Christian Science church service for the first time will recognize many familiar elements—hymns, prayer, readings from the Bible, a warm sense of fellowship. One unique feature is that we don’t have personal preachers or pastors conducting the services. Instead, two lay readers conduct services that are based on Bible Lessons published in The Christian Science Quarterly. These lessons are made up of passages from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and address topics such as God, Christ Jesus, and so forth. There is a simplicity to the services that is very much in keeping with the earliest Christian gatherings where love and healing were at the heart of worship.

There are also mid-week testimony meetings held every Wednesday when the congregation meets for an hour to pray, share readings based again on the Bible, and to give thanks for the blessings and healing experiences that have resulted from their prayers and from their study of Christian Science.

Sunday Service Audio Broadcast from Boston - Hear the service at The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, MA, USA, each Sunday.  Click for details and link.