Eddy, Mary Baker (1821-1910)

Letters from Mary Baker Eddy to her student Prof Elizabeth French from January - December 1886, Massachusetts Metaphysical College, Boston:

Item 1 - cover page for the collection

Item 2 - letter dated 13 January 1886

Item 3 - letter dated 18 September 1886

Item 4 - letter dated 18 October 1886

Item 5 - first half of an incomplete letter dated 30 November 1886

Item 6 - letter dated 19 December 1886

Item 7 - second half of an incomplete letter which may belong with item 5, however there is not enough evidence to confirm whether or not this is the case.

1886

1file (7 items)

Bequest from Mrs May French Sheldon, March 1936 (acc.69349).

Mary Baker Eddy was a highly controversial leader, author and lecturer who established a method of healing based on a combination of science and religion. She suffered from persistant ill health and this lead to an interest in homeopathy, alternative healing and in particular, the work of the healer Phineas Quimby, who treated her for nervous and physical complaints in 1862. After a severe fall in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1866, she turned to the Bible and believed that this faith was instrumental in her unexpected recovery from the accident. She subsequently developed her own method of healing which she claimed was based on scientific principles. This 'christian science' proposed that healing could be achieved through awakened thought, brought about by a clearer perception of God. In 1875 she published a book about her beliefs entitled Science and Health, which was later retitled Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and this became a fundamental doctrinal textbook for the Church of Christ, Scientist which she founded in 1879. In 1881 she founded and became the President of, Massachusetts Metaphysical College in Boston where she taught between the years of 1882 and 1889. She also founded various publications such as; the Christian Science Journal, the Christian Science Sentinel, the Herald of Christian Science and The Christian Science Monitor (the latter continues to be published today).