Teaching Christian Science

One of the greatest joys of my professional life is to teach Christian Science to others seeking a deeper understanding of its teachings. I am authorized and credentialed by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, to teach one two-week class a year to those aspiring to be Christian Science healers.

Interestingly, when Mary Baker Eddy, the Founder of the Church, authorized students to become teachers, she put a by-law in the governing document of the Church, called the Church Manual, specifically forbidding teachers to solicit students for classes.

The by-law states in part,

Class Teaching. SECT. 5. Members of The Mother Church who are authorized by its By-Laws to teach Christian Science, shall not solicit, or cause or permit others to solicit, pupils for their classes….

I’ve always obeyed this rule, but over the years have occasionally wondered exactly what moral error Eddy was striving to prevent.

After an encounter with a young man a few weeks ago, and listening to his story, I can see better than ever why Eddy created this mandate.

The young man was asking me about taking class, what was required, how he knew whether he was ready, how I conducted classes, and so on. Part way through our discussion, he relayed how he had talked with another teacher two years earlier, and the teacher had put substantial pressure on him to take class with him at that time. The young man did not feel ready, and declined, but still agonized over whether he made a mistake, because he had great respect for the teacher.

I assured him that the choice was between him and God, and no personal influence from any direction should sway his decision.

From the story I heard, it appeared that a teacher somewhere had solicited this student. And suddenly, clearer than ever before, I saw the evil in recruiting students. And it’s this…

If a Christian Science teacher, in any way, tries to sway the decision-making of a potential student through personal influence, he or she is relying upon his or her personality to affect another, and is not trusting the direction of the one Mind to guide the individual.

The act of recruiting for class may appear innocent, because many teachers of other professions do it actively and aggressively, but in Christian Science, it is an evil. Why? Because a Christian Science teacher is to take a student’s thought to God, not to himself. And if a teacher relies upon his personality to persuade a potential student to attend class, he’ll do the same during class when talking about God. In teaching, he will rely upon his personal presence to convince the thought of the student, rather than relying upon the influence of the one Mind, divine Love. The effect could be more of a teacher-worship, than a deeper worship of God, and this is a grave crime against the moral and spiritual rights of the learner.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” the Bible commands.

The one Mind, God, is the most reliable influence over another’s thought there is. Understanding this truth, and living it, is Christian Science.