A Christian Science practitioner is an individual who prays for others according to the teachings of

Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally know ...

.Vitello, Paul
"Christian Science Church Seeks Truce With Modern Medicine"
''The New York Times'', March 23, 2010. Treatment is non-medical, rather it is based on the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

and the Christian Science textbook, '' Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures'' (1875) by

Mary Baker Eddy Mary Baker Eddy (July 16, 1821 – December 3, 1910) was an American religious leader and author who founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, in New England in 1879. She also founded ''The Christian Science Monitor'', a Pulitzer Prize-winning s ...

(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. Despite the non-medical nature of their practice, Christian Science practitioners were aggressively prosecuted in 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. Practitioners are either "listed" or "unlisted," a designation that refers to a form of international accreditation maintained by The Mother Church, in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Massachusetts. "Listed" practitioners are included in the directory of Christian Science practitioners on the church website, and printed in the ''

Christian Science Journal ''The Christian Science Journal'' is an official monthly publication of the Church of Christ, Scientist through the Christian Science Publishing Society, founded in 1883 by Mary Baker Eddy. Regarding prayer in Christian Science, sometimes called "treatment" when focused on a specific issue or problem,

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 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.Tutt, John M. (February 12, 1916)
"Practitioner and Patient"
''Christian Science Sentinel''. 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 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 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 Healing the centurion's servant is one of the miracles performed by Jesus of Nazareth as related in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke (both part of the Christian biblical canon). The story is not recounted in the Gospels of either John ...

in the

Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and for ...

. Practitioners are required to maintain 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.''Manual'', page 46. 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 was clear this was against the patient's will. As noted by

Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...

, Christian Scientists are "not 'against doctors'... utexperience 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, a loosening of standards precipitated by several well-publicized deaths under Christian Science treatment, including those of children.

System of accreditation

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 a complete healing through he applicant'sprayerful 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 The ''Church Manual of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts'' commonly known as the ''Manual of The Mother Church'' is the book that establishes the structure and governance of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, als ...

'', which governs all activities of the church.

Class instruction and Christian Science teachers

Primary class instruction

Primary class is a two-week course that is open to anyone and is a "comprehensive study of the nature of God and man", according to DeWitt John, a Christian Science teacher.John, DeWitt (1962) pp. 70-71 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 is so deep and absorbing that it often changes one's outlook and leaves an impression that lasts a lifetime. ... thas 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 Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

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 the short space of two weeks, all that ur teacherimparted 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;''Manual'', p. 87 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 the years. Each teacher meets annually with the entire association''Manual'', p. 84 for an all-day lecture designed to renew and further the students' understanding and practice of Christian Science.

Christian Science teachers (C.S.B.)

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 Normal(s) or The Normal(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''Normal'' (2003 film), starring Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson * ''Normal'' (2007 film), starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Kevin Zegers, Callum Keith Rennie, and Andrew Airlie * ''Norma ...

course. Normal class instruction is held once every three years and 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 is held by the Christian Science Board of Education in

, 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.

Numbers in the United States

In the United States, Christian Science practitioners are legally defined as

health care providers A health professional, healthcare professional, or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a nurse, physician (suc ...

Notable Christian Science practitioners

* Adam H. Dickey *

Annie M. Knott Annie MacMillan Knott (1 September, 1850 – December 20, 1941) was a practitioner and teacher in The First Church of Christ, Scientist. She was a student of Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the religion, and served the church in various capacitie ...

* Calvin Frye * Edmund F. Burton *

Frances Thurber Seal Frances Thurber Seal, (ca. 1860 – 1930s) was a Christian Science practitioner and teacher from the United States and one of three people to establish the religion in Germany. She also helped introduce it in Norway. Life and work Born the daugh ...

Irving C. Tomlinson Rev. Irving Clinton Tomlinson (March 22, 1860 – October 1, 1944) was an American Universalist minister who converted to Christian Science, becoming a practitioner and teacher. For a time, he lived as one of the workers in the household of church ...

Jer Master Jer Master was an Indian pediatrician who left medicine to pursue the study of Christian Science. For more than two decades, Master worked in the field of medicine, both in private practice and as a professor of pediatrics at the Bai Jerbai Wadi ...

* John M. Tutt *

Richard Bergenheim Richard Bergenheim, CSB, (1948 – July 20, 2008) was the editor of ''The Christian Science Monitor'' and served The First Church of Christ, Scientist in numerous other capacities including on the church's Board of Directors and as President of The ...

Roy Olmstead Roy Olmstead (September 18, 1886 – April 30, 1966) was one of the most successful and best-known bootleggers in the Pacific Northwest region during American Prohibition. A former lieutenant in the Seattle Police Department, he began smuggl ...

Septimus J. Hanna Septimus James Hanna (July 29, 1845 – July 23, 1921), an American Civil War veteran and a judge in the Old West. He was a student of Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the Christian Science church. Giving up his legal career, he became a Christian S ...

* Sue Harper Mims *

William D. McCrackan William Dennison McCrackan (1864 – June 12, 1923) was an American journalist and author of books on history and travel. In 1900, he converted to Christian Science and became a Christian Science practitioner, teacher and lecturer. Life McCrac ...

* William Higgs * William Rathvon

References

External links

Directory of practitioners, teachers and churches
''Christian Science Journal''
General information about Christian Science practitioners
Christian Science church, official website {{Christian Science, state=collapsed Christian Science