Britannica Sources used in this answer

How did Darwinism and biblical criticism influence the rise of Christian Science?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The Mother Church at the Christian Science Center in Boston stands beside a large reflecting pool, with its domed roof and ornate facade visible under a partly cloudy sky. — Christian Science The Mother Church and reflecting pool, Christian Science Center, Boston.

In the late 19th century, the rise of Christian Science was significantly shaped by a period of intellectual flux in America. During this time, the emergence of Darwinism and the development of biblical criticism acted as secularizing influences that challenged the traditional supernaturalist structure of Protestant orthodoxy.1

Many Christians felt caught between what founder Mary Baker Eddy described as a rigid, deterministic "stern Protestantism" and a "doubtful liberalism" that seemed to attenuate the faith. As these scientific and historical challenges weakened the authority of traditional religious frameworks, many disaffected Protestants were drawn to Christian Science. The movement offered a compelling alternative through its emphasis on spiritual healing and the promise of a renewed, Bible-centered faith.1

While Eddy rejected the materialist view that life and mind evolve from matter—a concept she saw as a denial of God’s sovereignty—her movement provided a spiritual response to the era's intellectual crises, seeking to reinstate what she termed "primitive Christianity" and its lost element of healing.213