Christian Science and Religious Liberty

Authors

Edward W. Dickey

Abstract

Prominent among the expressions of religious thought in this country in recent years is that of Christian Science. Its teaching in regard to the healing of disease without any material agencies has called forth many comments on the question of religious liberty. As it has attracted to it a large and ever increasing number of intelligent and law-abiding citizens, all over the country, and as there have been several efforts to partially or totally restrict its practice as a means of healing, by proscriptive legislation, we deem it proper to set forth, in a general way, some of the questions, with the conclusions of well recognized authorities, that lie at the root of the matter. While Christian Science is a healing system it cannot be considered as a "school of medicine" but only as a religious belief. It is defined by the Century Dictionary as "a-system of religious teaching, based on the Scriptures, which originated with the Rev. Mary Baker Eddy about 1866. Its most notable application is in the professed cure of disease by mental and spiritual means."

Recommended Citation

Edward W. Dickey, Christian Science and Religious Liberty, 4 Mich. L. Rev. 261 (1906).
Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol4/iss4/2