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What is a Christian Science practitioner?

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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 Christian Science, a practitioner is an individual engaged in the church's full-time healing ministry. These practitioners dedicate themselves to the practice of spiritual healing through prayer, which the denomination views as a necessary element in the process of redemption.12

Key details regarding Christian Science practitioners include:

Professional Listing: Practitioners are listed in a directory published monthly in the denomination’s major religious periodical, The Christian Science Journal.1
Compensation: Practitioners typically charge their patients a nominal fee for their services.1
Role in Healing: Their work is central to the church's mission of spiritual healing, which emphasizes looking beyond material appearances to a spiritual reality.21

While Christian Science encourages this spiritual approach to health, members are not compelled to practice faith healing exclusively; they often utilize medical services for specific needs, such as dentistry, optometry, or the setting of broken bones.1