[.ca] Healing Revelations Of Mary B Edd (ISBN 0879758384)

very entertaining with new material:
This book is an entertaining brief account of Christian Science and its founder. Gardner does not address some important points (e.g., the controversial CS practice of denying medical care to children), but the information he presents on other points (e.g., the bizarre memorial pyramid at Eddy's birthplace) is new. It's possible that Gardner could have used a better fact-checker at some points. Matters such as copyright dates of the church textbook are apparently wrong (at least according to one CS attorney I corresponded with). In Gillian Gill's recent bio of Eddy, Gill claims that Gardner's book is "error-filled," but does not elaborate. Of course, like all modern researchers, Gardner did not have access to the church archives, not even the restricted access enjoyed by Gill. So perhaps some of these problems can be forgiven. Any objective reader who is interested in CS--even open-minded readers who don't know much about CS--will enjoy this book. CS readers no doubt will be offended by Gardner's light-hearted poke at Eddy and should stay away.

Insightful:
You won't find any spin from brainwashed followers in this book. The truth shall set you free.

Mrs. Eddy surely differed greatly from Quimby.:
Gardner's claim of plagiarism of Quimby's writings by Mrs. Eddy simply doesn't hold water. Quimby did reach the point of recognizing to a meager extend the influence of the human mind on the body. So by necessity, some of Mrs. Eddy's writings might seem to parallel Quimby's writings regarding the human mind/body relationship. But that's as far as any seeming similarity can be found between the two. Here's excerpts about what Mrs. Eddy says about Quimby in her book, Miscellaneous Writings: "Having practised homoeopathy, it never occurred to the author to learn his \oQuimby's\c practice, but she did ask him how manipulation could benefit the sick. He answered kindly and squarely, in substance, 'Because it conveys electricity to them.' That was the sum of what he taught her of his medical profession. "The readers of my books cannot fail to see that metaphysical therapeutics, as in Christian Science, are farther removed from such thoughts than the nebulous system is from the earth. "I never heard him say that matter was not as real as Mind, or that electricity was not as potential or remedial, or allude to God as the divine Principle of all healing. He certainly had advanced views of his own, but they commingled error with truth, and were not Science." Throughout the latter years of her time here on earth, Mrs. Eddy was constantly being accused of plagiarizing the writings of Quimby. Many of her detractors claimed that he was the one who healed her of her many years of invalidism. The truth is that she seemed to derive temporary benefit from his treatments, but soon after, lapsed into an even worse physical state. Eventually she was completely healed through her own study of the Bible and her faith in a higher power, far transcending the electricity/magnetism techniques that Quimby employed. It's obvious that Gardner didn't study Mrs. Eddy's writings sufficiently to discern the vast gulf between her teachings, and those of Quimby. And as other reviewers have noted, he misstates many facts regarding the life of Mary Baker Eddy, which seriously compromises and undermines his arguments from the starting line to the finish line. Don't waste your money on this one.

Disappointing fiction:
After reading Gillian Gill's well researched biography of the founder of the Christian Science church, Gardner's book is incredibly disappointing. Misconstrued facts, while presented in a persuasive way, demolish his thesis. Gill's work, (a non-Christian Scientist just like Gardner) is the antithesis of Gardner's. She is fair, evaluative, does not editorialize, and while she tells things that Christian Scientists may or may not appreciate, she is honest to the core. Gardner would have done well to peruse the work of a TRUE writer (Gill) before attempted his own falsified fiction of an American religious figure.

"Ill informed negativity":
In order to understand CS one has to devote their life to the continually unfoldment that is a result of studying Mrs. Eddy's teaching's. It is not unusual for sometime to totally miss the essence of CS . But the fact remains it is a demonstrable science. Most Christians Scientists have demonstrated good health , happiness and prosperity throughout their long lives. This speaks volumes. "Scientist's simply follow the example and teachings of Christ Jesus. Mrs. Eddy , thankfully explained the teachings of Christ to a degree that had not been done before. She laid no claim to inventing the truth but rather explaining it through what she called "Christian Science". Naturally after her passing the "truth began to get diluted and hence demonstations were less frequent. She was simply trying to wake everyone up to the fact that " The truth will set them free" from the erroneous thinking of mankind. It's evident that every forward thinking person throughout history has been persecuted by those of lesser vision. Why should she be an exception. "Forgive them father they know not what they do".