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31-575: The Journal is designed to demonstrate the practical applications of Christian Science healing practice. Instructive articles and verified reports of Christian healing give the reader a working understanding of the Principle and practice of Christian Science. Each issue also contains editorials, interviews, church news, poems, as well as a worldwide directory of Christian Science practitioners , teachers, churches, Reading Rooms , organizations at universities and colleges, and more. Two sister publications exist:

62-602: A "substantial addition to the literature on American religious history". In the New York Times Book Review in 1978, Martin E. Marty wrote that Peel's work had "begun to break the barriers between apologists and critics". Raymond J. Cunningham, a history professor, described Peel the following year as a "painstaking and imaginative scholar" and the final book of Peel's trilogy a more balanced picture of Eddy, but noted his "uncomfortably reverential" approach and special pleading to resolve "doubtful points in favor of

93-499: A Christian Science practitioner, according to John M. Tutt , a medical doctor who left medicine and became a Christian Science practitioner, is that of a "helper"; and the patient is encouraged to pray along with the practitioner to "know the truth" when possible. However, Christian Scientists note that the patient does not need to pray or even believe in Christian Science or have any religious faith at all in order to be healed by

124-466: A Christian Scientist, and Arthur James Peel, Peel moved to Boston with his parents and sister, Doris (1907–1990), in or around 1921. He was educated at the Boston Latin School and from 1927 studied English literature at Harvard University , graduating in 1931. His undergraduate honors thesis, The Creed of a Victorian Pagan , a study of English novelist and poet George Meredith , was published by

155-512: A complete healing through [the applicant's] prayerful treatment." Applicants must also have taken "primary class" instruction by an "authorized teacher of Christian Science" under the aegis of the Christian Science Board of Education, as stipulated in the Manual of The Mother Church , which governs all activities of the church. Primary class is a two-week course that is open to anyone and

186-583: A designation that refers to a form of international accreditation maintained by The Mother Church , in Boston , Massachusetts. "Listed" practitioners are included in the directory of Christian Science practitioners on the church website, and printed in the Christian Science Journal . Christian Science practitioners are those who devote their full time to prayer for others. Regarding prayer in Christian Science, sometimes called "treatment" when focused on

217-597: A loosening of standards precipitated by several well-publicized deaths under Christian Science treatment, including those of children. Any student of Christian Science may take patients, but only those "listed" as practitioners in the worldwide directory published in The Christian Science Journal and on the Christian Science website are regarded by the church as experienced healers. The church writes that, to become listed, applicants are interviewed, and must provide references from "three patients who can confirm

248-443: A practitioner's prayer. Practitioners are also not confined to praying about sickness, but pray for people regarding any type of difficulty such as financial or relationship problems. Christian Scientists do not consider healing to be the primary purpose of Christian Science, but rather a deeper sense of God that they say comes with healing. However, Charles S. Braden notes that most Christian Scientists probably originally came to

279-404: A specific issue or problem, Mary Baker Eddy wrote: "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God, — a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love." Christian Scientists see practitioners as following in the footsteps of Jesus' disciples in order to "reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing." The work of

310-470: Is a "comprehensive study of the nature of God and man", according to DeWitt John, a Christian Science teacher. The class follows the chapter "Recapitulation" from Science and Health , using the Bible and all Eddy's published works as research and reference to explain the chapter. Following hours of class time, students are given hours of homework, both reading and written assignments. John writes, "The instruction

341-697: Is an individual who prays for others according to the teachings of Christian Science . Treatment is non-medical, rather it is based on the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (1875) by Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), who said she discovered Christian Science in 1866 and founded the Christian Science church in 1879. According to the church, Christian Science practitioners address physical conditions, as well as relationship or financial difficulties and any other problem or crisis. Practitioners are either "listed" or "unlisted,"

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372-515: Is held by the Christian Science Board of Education in Boston , Massachusetts. The Board selects a teacher, who usually teaches the normal class just once in a lifetime, and is not identified until several weeks after the class has ended. In the United States, Christian Science practitioners are legally defined as health care providers . Despite the non-medical nature of their practice, Christian Science practitioners were aggressively prosecuted in

403-455: Is limited to 30 pupils. Primary class is held once a year by each teacher and is also limited to 30. According to the Manual , those who complete the normal class receive the certificate "C.S.B." Tuition for both classes is fixed by the Manual at $ 100. Primary class instruction is held all over the world, wherever authorized teachers of Christian Science live or decide to teach; the normal class

434-586: Is so deep and absorbing that it often changes one's outlook and leaves an impression that lasts a lifetime. ... [It] has special impact because of its systematic and thorough character and because it is based upon years of actual experience on the part of the teacher in the practice of Christian Science healing." Severin E. Simonsen, a Methodist minister converted to Christian Science, wrote, "I have sat for months in classrooms listening to learned professors and able teachers, but I never supposed it to be possible for any human being to teach and unfold to his students, in

465-524: The Christian Science Sentinel , a weekly magazine; and The Herald of Christian Science , which is published in a number of foreign languages. This Christian magazine or journal-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . See tips for writing articles about magazines . Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page . Christian Science practitioner A Christian Science practitioner

496-682: The Christian Science Monitor , a publication owned by the Church of Christ, Scientist . He was also a counsellor for the church's Committee on Publication, set up by Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), the religion's founder, to protect her own and the church's reputation. Peel is best known for his three-volume biography, Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Discovery (1966), Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Trial (1971), and Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Authority (1977). Born in London to Anne Susannah Monk,

527-448: The biography his love, sympathy, and reverence for his subject shine through," she wrote. "But Peel was also dedicated to historical truth and serious scholarship, and his text is supplemented by references, quotations, and copious notes which form a treasure trove for scholars." Another benefit of the work, she added, was that it supplied archival numbers for material scholars had not known existed. Caroline Fraser wrote in 1999 that Peel

558-751: The church's administration in Boston, where he became an advisor to the church's Committee on Publication. That year, he recorded a radio talk about Christian Science, "Moving Mountains", for the BBC Third Programme . First published in the Christian Science Monitor , it also appeared in the BBC magazine The Listener . In the article, he argued for the Christian Science view of humanity as "spiritual rather than material, incapable of corruption and error, no more subject to annihilation than his Maker". His first book, Christian Science: Its Encounter with American Culture ,

589-431: The confidentiality of their patients' private communications. In cases where the patient's recovery is "chronic" or if the practitioner fails to bring about a recovery, he is required to lower the bill. Combining Christian Science treatment with medical treatment is not recommended by Science and Health and traditionally, practitioners have withdrawn from cases where the patient undertook medical treatment, except where it

620-478: The impressive apparatus of scholarship employed, Mr. Peel's book must be taken for what it really is, an exceedingly clever piece of propaganda in support of the official view of the life of Mrs. Eddy. As such it is probably the most effective that has yet appeared." According to historian James Findlay, Peel was "highly sympathetic" to Eddy; the result was a "flat, one or two-dimensional image that remains unreal". Despite this, Findlay viewed The Years of Discovery as

651-446: The late 19th century by newly established state medical societies across the United States. Most state courts dismissed these actions because the courts ruled that they did not practice medicine. Robert Peel (Christian Science) Robert Arthur Peel (May 6, 1909 – January 8, 1992) was a Christian Science historian and writer on religious and ecumenical topics. A Christian Scientist for over 70 years, Peel wrote editorials for

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682-464: The religion for healing. Critics of Christian Science have ridiculed the idea of "absent treatment", where a practitioner prays for a patient who is not physically present with the practitioner, and sometimes compared it to witchcraft; but Christian Scientists counter that Jesus did the same thing, citing the healing the centurion's servant in the Gospel of Matthew . Practitioners are required to maintain

713-468: The short space of two weeks, all that [our teacher] imparted to us." Students completing the course receive the certificate "C.S." and are referred to as having been "class taught". Teachers are prohibited from soliciting students; rather, students apply to a teacher for primary class, which is taken just once in life, except in the event that a teacher's credentials are withdrawn. Each teacher maintains an "association" of students, which grows in size over

744-511: The staff of General Douglas MacArthur , who oversaw the occupation of Japan after the war; Peel taught Shigeko Higashikuni (Princess Teru), daughter of Emperor Hirohito , and her husband, Prince Morihiro Higashikuni . After the war, Peel joined the Christian Science Monitor , a newspaper owned by the Christian Science church, writing editorials and book reviews, then in 1953 left the Monitor to work for The First Church of Christ, Scientist ,

775-426: The subject". Cunningham concluded nevertheless that the work was an important achievement. Biographer Carol Dickson noted that "Peel seeks to ignore controversies completely by confining discussions of conflicting evidence and questions of reliability to his notes." In her own biography of Mary Baker Eddy in 1998, Gillian Gill called Peel "Mrs. Eddy's most brilliant, informed, and judicious biographer." "Throughout

806-510: The university that year. According to the British journalist Frederic Newlands Hunter, T. S. Eliot , who taught at Harvard, published Peel's undergraduate essay on Virginia Woolf in The Criterion , a British literary magazine. After graduating, Peel taught history and literature at Harvard and began his graduate studies. In 1935 he submitted a proposal for a doctorate on Mary Baker Eddy, but it

837-412: The years. Each teacher meets annually with the entire association for an all-day lecture designed to renew and further the students' understanding and practice of Christian Science. An authorized teacher is one who, having had primary class instruction and a minimum of three years' experience as a practitioner, has completed the normal course. Normal class instruction is held once every three years and

868-559: Was a Christian Scientist all his adult life, although he was said to have become estranged from the church in later years. Theologian Cornelius J. Dyck described Peel's approach in Christian Science: Its Encounter with American Culture (1958) as "partisan but gentle, the intention is apologetic but without either alienating the reader or making a wild-eyed convert out of him". Reviewing Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Discovery , Charles S. Braden wrote in 1967: "Despite

899-415: Was clear this was against the patient's will. As noted by Robert Peel , Christian Scientists are "not 'against doctors'... [but] experience has shown that any attempt to combine Christian Science with medical treatment is likely to lessen the efficacy of each, since they start from exactly opposite premises." Some practitioners no longer give up such cases, although they may change the nature of their prayer,

930-494: Was published in 1958. His extensive research into the life of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science church, culminated in his biographical trilogy, Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Discovery (1966), Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Trial (1971), and Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Authority (1977), first published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston , then by the Christian Science Publishing Society . Peel

961-601: Was rejected. He was awarded a master's degree in 1940. After several years teaching at Harvard, Peel taught English and philosophy at Principia College , a Christian Science college in Elsah, Illinois , returning to Harvard in 1940 for his master's, then resuming his teaching at Principia. During World War II , he served in the South Pacific as a counter-intelligence officer for the US Army . In 1945, according to Hunter, he joined

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