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Mr. Dickey: Secretary to Mary Baker Eddy

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Christian Scientists, as well as students of American religious history,
will welcome this engaging new biography of Adam Dickey, Mary Baker Eddy's
right-hand secretary. The fact that it is addended to by his hard-to-find
Memoirs about her makes the book a complete package.

For the first time, author Nancy Niblack Baxter has had access to the
Dickey papers, both from the Dickey family and from the Christian Science
Church archival collection. They put this singular man into context and
shed fresh light on the founder of Christian Science. "Mr. Dickey" is a
window into the last years of her life and the first decade of the church
following her passing.

We first see Adam Dickey as member of a large Canadian family that
migrated to Kansas City to establish a lucrative clay pipe business at a
time in America's gilded age when roads were being built and sanitary sewers
were becoming a necessity.

Although he worked successfully in the business for a number of years,
Dickey was more attracted to things of the spirit. Introduced to Christian
Science before the turn of the 20th century, he took to it almost
immediately. He had class instruction twice from Christian Science pioneer,
Edward Kimball, and was recruited to serve in the household of the
religion's founder a few years later.

While there, Dickey witnessed Eddy's triumphs and trials, and stood by
her with courage, unquestioning loyalty, and ardent prayer. Along with her
factotum, Calvin Frye, he became a first lieutenant-so much so that Eddy
demanded he write an account of what happened during that period, a memoir
later suppressed by the church.

As one of her final acts in 1910, Eddy appointed Dickey a director of
her church. He served for over ten years when the Christian Science
movement was challenged both by her passing and by a major legal battle
between the trustees of its publishing house and the church board, a battle
now referred to as the "Great Litigation."

We are finally at a point in scholarship on Christian Science history
when we can step back to view it with increased accuracy, and even
inspiration. The work of Eddy biographers, Robert Peel and Gillian Gill,
has set the standard for this effort. Other scholarly books will be
appearing, starting in the fall of 2005. "Mr. Dickey" will bring added
insight to them all.