Customer Reviews

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (Authorized, Trade Ed.)

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

I love this book. Rather than say what I thought of the words in this book, I'd like to say what those words did to change my life.

Through reading this book, Science & Health by Mary Baker Eddy, I gained an understanding of the richness and depth of the Holy Bible.

As I worked my way through Science and Health, I found myself using less medicine, enjoying better health and above all *ABOVE ALL*, I found a sense of peace I'd never known. The peace that passeth all understanding.

What a sweet and blessed relief that was for me and my family.

Since childhood, I'd suffered from frequent bouts of sinus troubles and sore throats. About two years after I began reading Mrs. Eddy's book, those troubles simply disappeared and never recurred.

Ever since I was young, a felt an intense, even insatiable longing to know "the meaning of life". I read countless books on countless religions and belief systems, but when I studied Science & Health, I remembered thinking, "This woman has got something here..." That longing to know more about life was satisfied by reading her book and digging into the Bible with new understanding.

Thomas Moore said "Earth has no sorrow, that heaven cannot heal." Science and Health proves Moore's statement and shows how heaven [God] *does* heal.

Rose Thornton

The reviews here are all pretty much one way or another. Most readers seem to like Science and Health, while many others have some strong negative comments/reviews. It should be addressed here, however, that many reviews are about the Christian Science Church rather than the book itself.

Some individuals have had negative experiences with the Church/religion, and while their experiences are certainly valid, I am not about to defend the shortcomings of a human institution in this space. I do feel the need, however, to distinguish between a religion and its book. People, for example, may have had problems with the Catholic faith in their life, but that's no reason to start bashing the Bible or giving it a one-star rating.

What few seem to discuss here is the book's central thesis, that God exists and that His divine laws should be directly applicable to us in our daily lives. I personally happen to agree with this statement, but I can also understand why some out there would disagree. Maybe they don't believe in God, or don't believe in Jesus' teachings. Maybe they don't think that God can affect their daily lives.

There are 100 pages of testimonials of people who were healed of various ailments from reading this book. Will your life be permanently changed by reading this book? It could. At the very least, you will read a book that makes you think about your personal relationship with God. For me, that's something that is without price.

It is interesting to read other reviews from readers of this book. It earns either 5 stars or just 1, depending apparently where the readers are coming from, either for or against the religion Mary Baker Eddy established called Christian Science

This woman was early and bold, as a female in the 19th century when women had such limited powers and personal rights, to write and to live by what was considered to be radical thinking at that time. Her concept was principally that matter is not what it appears to be and that we are fundamentally spiritual beings. Now 125 years after the release of the book, respected authors such as Deepak Chopra, great humanitarians seeking spiritual truths such as Sir John Templeton and others appear to be agreeing, by saying that there is still much to learn about spiritually that is more than meets the "human eye". We are just scratching the surface of whatever reality really is and Mrs. Eddy pioneered this effort as one of the first.

One reader giving the book but one star states that healing through its "teachings" does not work, that evidence is only anecdotal. I can vouch that my grandfather was completely healed of stomach cancer on the very night he was expected to die. The disease had been diagnosed and a doctor was in attendance in a hospital room. That is not anecdotal. I was in the room.

One thing that I personally liked about reading the book was the author's desire to "bless all mankind". She didn't seem to be promoting her church, but wanted to share what she thought she had learned with people of all religious persuasions. It may have been one of the first "self help" books. Written 125 years ago, it seems to be one of the most enduring.

The book made me think and joins other good books in respecting the ancient scriptures while providing some illumination of them.

Wow! I am not a Christian Scientist, but I can't believe the hatred directed towards this book and Mary Baker Eddy. I stumbled onto this book by chance and read it. All I can say is please read it before commenting on Christian Science or its founder. IMHO, the teachings contained in Science & Health in no way conflict with those of Jesus or anyone in the New Testament; in fact, they support them. To deny the theories set forth in this book would be to deny that Jesus ever healed a single patient, or performed any miracles. If you don't believe in Jesus, then that's no problem. Sure, Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life", and He also said, "of my own self I can do nothing" - well, which one is it? You need to use your mind for this and think. I found when reading this book, I could find no contradictory statements in the entire 700 pages of it. Also, considering what we know of the universe and matter today, it's astounding how correct Mary Baker Eddy was over 100 years ago. Most of the Bible quotes from "reviewers" here are taken out of context. If you want to know WHY it's important to "Love thy neighbor as thyself", besides the old "you'll go to hell!" then do yourself a favor and read this book.

Science and Health isn't a quick read, by any means, but it is worth every ounce of effort to dig through each paragraph and chapter. My life has changed tremendously since I started reading and studying this textbook on healing, and I'm sure yours will too. The healing that takes place in thought as we read through each paragraph is FOR REAL!! The last 100 pages of this 700 page book, are stories and testimonies of healing, from those that read the book. Many of these individuals were completely written-off by the medical profession. There are healings from accidents, tumors, depression, stomach problems, blindness, you name it. No herbs, no massage, no witchcraft, all they did was read the book. Their understanding changed, and so did the physical manifestations. This book also gives us some wonderful wisdom about relationships and marriage, in the chapter titled, "Marriage". I especially love the first chapter of the book, "Prayer". It is a step by step instruction in how to pray more effectively, and can be helpful to anyone in search of a greater daily connection to God. As you can tell, I highly recommend this book, and also its companion, the Bible.

Before I ran into this book I bought many others on lifestyles, Lebenshilfe, religions, philosophies etc. With this book I have the feeling:this is what I was looking for and some of the ideas presented somehow sounded familiar although I wouldn't have been able to articulate them in this way. Mary Baker Eddy presents a liberating interpretation of the man and mission of Jesus Christ, what he said and HOW he healed and that it can be done today by you and me, too. And the amazing thing is that here religion seems not at all apart from everyday living -on the contrary- the way the author explains it, it can be an integral part of - I am sure- everyone's life because it is so practical and - yes- healing. I was freed from uncertain fears just by reading the book.No other book had a similar impact on my view of people and things. It's for people who want to go beyond the surface. Highly recommendable.

Okay, now I rate this five stars but only if it is taken a specific way. When you read this book do not just take it as Gospel, and likewise don't denounce it as hogwash before you even crack the spine. Take everything as you read it, test it and see if it works for you. Follow the Bible's advice, "Test everything, hold on to what is good."
Another thing, Remember that you do NOT, cannot stress that enough, have to be a Christian Scientist to use or enjoy this book. I am a devout Catholic and I still like this book and appreciate it and aprpeciate Eddy for her headstrong beliefs.
Another thing is that you do not have to forfeit all medical care to enhoy or use this book either, my father is undergoing Cancer treatment and I just got out of treatment from a car accident and I take pain medication but I still use spiritual healing and prayer as well.
I guess what I am trying to say is that take this book step by step, hence the title and practice it tyo your own comfort level.

In the Preface to this book, Mary Baker Eddy dedicates Science and Health to "honest seekers for Truth". I've been reading this book, along with the Bible, for many years. It's helped me to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible's message. It's also shown me how to find solutions to life's challenges through prayer.

The truth contained in this book is immediately demonstrable in practical ways. One day I began to come down with a very bad cold. I had plans that evening and didn't want the way I was feeling to ruin my plans. I decided to pray with one of the powerful truths in this book..."Become conscious for a single moment that Life and intelligence are purely spiritual, - neither in nor of matter, - and the body will then utter no complaints. If suffering from a belief in sickness, you will find yourself suddenly well". When I recognized this to be true, all the symptoms of the cold vanished immediately and completely.

The ideas in Science and Health have transformed my life. It truly is a reference book for spiritual fulfillment. This is a book you won't want to miss!

The concepts brought up in this book are definitely not your typical mainstream religious beliefs.

Since reading this book - it took me quite a while - I am finding a new way of looking at my life. Much of what I've begun to notice has not been very pretty, but I was honestly unaware of the many deep-seeded beliefs that have gone unchallenged for my entire life. Through her book, Mary Baker Eddy has helped to give me a reason to challenge them. I know it could be a long time before I am able to live consistently to the standard set forth in this book, but I am sure that there is nothing else out there that even comes close to making sense of my relationship to God as is set forth in Science and Health.

A friend also told me recently about a new website - spirituality.com - from which I am finding a lot of added inspiration to study this book.

I have a feeling there will be a lot of talking about this book and its author in the near future.

When all else has failed, the truths in the book Science and Health continue to be a life-line to me and my family. I have been studying and practicing the precepts taught in this book for many years. My children and I have experienced so many healings as a result of knowing God better, which has come as a result of reading and deeply considering Mary Baker Eddy's definition of God in the Glossary of this book. Perhaps the most helpful chapter is the first one on Prayer, which takes the mystery out of how to pray and explains the immediate access we have to Him as a loving and ever-present Father-Mother. Without exaggeration, I would say to any reader that if there was only one book to ever own and read in addition to the Bible, this is it.