Two friends of mine, Ty who is a Christian Scientist and Vi who is a biblical Christian, were sparring over why forgiveness isn’t more prominently emphasized in the teachings of Christian Science. I wrote to Ty, remarking that it seems to me the differing perspectives on forgiveness stem from one’s view of what is or is not real, and thus whether we need a Savior or can save ourselves. (more…)
Forgiveness, so crucial in Christianity, receives little attention in the teachings of Christian Science. Why is that, and what are the consequences? The Lord’s Prayer, along with outlining several things we affirm about God and several things we ask God to do, states just one thing that we are to do. (more…)
A friend of mine, call him Clint, follows Christian Science but struggles with it. He also struggles with biblical Christianity, though—and Jesus in particular. It’s as if he needs to convince himself, and in so doing convince me, that Jesus is not God incarnate, the second person of the Trinity. (more…)
I just learned of the untimely death of a prominent, well-loved CS figure in our community. One more sad reminder that Christian Science as we see it lived by devoted individuals across the world, across the generations, simply does not measure up as a reliable approach to health, wellness, and bodily dominion. (more…)
“Behold, what manner of love.” These words from the Epistle of John are etched on the memory of anyone who spent years attending the Christian Science church. (more…)
“Do you ever get to church?” I’m talking with Chip, a young guy in his late 20s, son of a Christian Science family I’ve known forever. No, he says, he never does, since having decided several years ago CS is not for him — but lately he has felt there’s something spiritually missing in his life, maybe it’s time to look around.
Recently a friend asked me to attend her Christian Science church service. The Bible lesson was on “Doctrine of Atonement.” Twice a year for forty years, prior to leaving Science, (more…)
During many years when I joined other Christian Scientists in promising to “watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus,” the full meaning (more…)
The widespread assumption that true goodness is achievable in human beings by one’s own effort was vividly illustrated by an exchange on Facebook this weekend. (more…)
Profound thoughts on the reason for the season from Ryan Murphy, a professor of Christian Thought at Colorado Christian University where I work. Advent is like our prison door being opened from the outside, (more…)
Editor: Many of us within the Ananias circle, even if we’ve never met in person, feel a close kinship through the shared experience of finding Jesus, the pearl of great price. The brotherly bond between Jim Ritchie in Alabama and Phil Moser (more…)
Carl Gans, my yokefellow in starting this website (see Philippians 4:3), has contributed the second part of his reply to a blog interview I began with him some weeks ago. (more…)
Originally presented as radio talks during the Second World War, C. S. Lewis’s beloved Mere Christianity returned to the airwaves on Easter 2009 with an oral reading by my daughter and me on Backbone Radio, (more…)
Carl Gans of Santa Barbara, California, is a husband, father, attorney, and one of the founders of this website. The Ananias letter on our home page, though cosigned by several of us, was his idea, and I have personally been strengthened a great deal (more…)
For me on this holy weekend, the contrast couldn’t be more stark between our Catholic parish’s moving Easter Vigil liturgy and what I remember of Easter as a Christian Scientist. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, suffered on the cross and rose from the dead to redeem us (more…)
Jesus’ mother and the other women keeping vigil on Calvary weren’t metaphysicians. They were personal followers of the personal Jesus, the only begotten Son, their saving Lord, God in the flesh. But Mary Baker Eddy writes as if (more…)
Trinitarian Christians pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Mary Baker Eddy’s followers worship a different trinity, as I was reminded recently by a friend’s article (more…)
What might Christian Scientists learn from evangelical Christians, especially as it relates to fostering church growth? Doesn’t Mrs. Eddy’s church manual suggest friendliness (more…)
A leading theologian of the past century gave the following summary of the diluted and distorted salvation message proclaimed by liberal (more…)