The First Church of Christ, Science. The Avenue, Southampton

Having walked past it many times, Southampton’s First Church of Christ, Scientist on The Avenue was a curiosity to me. What exactly is its relation to science? Does its name imply that Christ was a scientist?

Often confused with Scientology and the similarly named Christians in Science organisation, Christian Science is a widespread movement, practised in 43 countries with 108 churches in the UK, with Southampton’s standing there since 1952. It originated in Massachusetts, USA the 1870s, its founder being Mary Baker Eddy, who is credited with writing the religion’s central text Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Eddy believed that through intense study of the Bible, she was able to cure her illnesses through prayer, and set about instructing other Christians to how they could achieve this. She was also involved with establishing the weekly Christian Science Monitor, a newspaper not explicitly related to the doctrine of the church, save for a ‘Perspective’ page in the back. Devoted to ”To injure no man, but to bless all mankind”, it has won several Pulitzer prizes since it’s inception.  Boston remains the location of the movement’s mother church, which dictates the lessons of each week’s service as practised around the world.

To those familiar with Christianity, these services are not too dissimilar to those seen in other churches. Attendees sing hymns, recite the Lord’s Prayer and listen to readings from the Bible. Where the main difference lies is in the usage of Mary Baker Eddy’s book and how the services are delivered by a committee of members from the church rather than a vicar.  The lessons are the same as every other practising institution, which are of such topics as ‘Are sin, disease and death real?’ and ‘Probation after death’.  No special services take place on Easter or Christmas. The organisation’s reading rooms, with Southampton’s located in front of the church, are where members can go and study these lessons at different times of the week.  The community that attends Southampton’s is small, accounted for by ‘temptations’ and the fact that the concepts of Christian Science are ‘radical’ and ‘metaphysical’, according to its members.

The church’s usage of the term ‘science’ is not meant to relate to its meaning as the study of the laws of the material universe. Instead it is used in a broader sense, as by it they mean the organisation of knowledge gained from particular evidence, in this case the Bible’s accounts of Jesus. One of their pamphlets defines it as ‘realising the dependability and repeatability of Jesus’ teachings and healings’. This is explained by a Bible passage where Jesus stated ‘whoever has faith in me will be able to do what I do’ (John 14:12). By this it is meant that Jesus’ healing powers are possible to anyone who has faith through prayer and knowledge of their spiritual existence. Indeed, all matter is said to exist spiritually rather than physically, with all evil and sin being illusions, only existing through false belief. “If you understand good, which is God, then there is no evil”, explains church member Rosemary Dash.

There has been controversy over Christian Science’s attitudes towards conventional medication, particularly with regard to children raised in the religion. Its critics point to the published testimonials of instances where both physical and emotional problems have been ‘healed’ as relying mainly on anecdotal evidence. However followers aren’t expected to rely solely on prayer with regards to illnesses, though to be able to be spiritually cured is preferable to being prescribed antibiotics by a doctor.

On 12th December, members of Southampton’s Christian Science Church will be joining the University’s Atheist Society as part of their ‘Alternative Views’ night, in which they will be discussing their beliefs.