One of the most misunderstood faiths in the world, Christian Science, has found a home, focused but small, on the Hill.
A New Hampshire woman named Mary Baker Eddy founded Christian Science, a sect of Protestant Christianity, in the late 19th century. Eddy's text, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" and the Bible, serve as the main texts for the faith. Followers believe in the concept of God as an all−loving being and Jesus as a healer. Specifically, Christian Scientists believe that as followers of Jesus, they can heal through prayer.
"Anyone who prays to understand the inherent goodness of God can heal himself or anyone else," Adrian Dahlin (LA '10), who works at the Tufts Institute of the Environment, said.
Junior Barrett Sparkman, president of Tufts' Christian Science Organization (CSO), explained it slightly differently.
"Christian Science sees itself as a science, sort of a demonstrative understanding of humans' relationship to God that allows to you to heal," he said.
This healing can apply both to physical problems and to emotional problems, such as stress in school. The interpretation and practice of prayer is a highly personal conversation between the individual and God, according to sophomore Ellen Mayer.
"I do pray on a regular basis," Mayer said. "When I come up against something good or bad in my day, I address it from a spiritual standpoint and link it to my understanding of God. It's a constant process."
Christian Science does not force its followers to rely on prayer over traditional medicine to maintain health, according to Paul Sander, a second−year graduate student in the School of Engineering.
Personal choice, he noted, comes into play.
"It's not a hard−and−fast rule," he said.
Sander said he recently experienced a successful healing, when he injured his knee after playing a vigorous game of kickball. He dealt with this problem through personal prayer and seeking the help of a Christian Science practitioner, a professional guide for healing.
"I was focusing on that — if God is my father and perfect and really does have a sense of life and health and purpose and love, I can't be limited in my life, and I can find those qualities too," he said.
The Boston area serves as a spiritual base for Christian Scientists as the location of the Christian Science world headquarters, the "Mother Church," — the First Church of Christ, Scientist. Christian Science services are based around the faith's two primary texts, rather than a central spiritual figure. During services, an elected committee chooses the two leaders as well as the selected passages, from the Bible and from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." There is no official clergy.
"We feel that the Bible and the textbook ["Science and Health"] are our pastors," Sparkman said.
Christian Scientists on the Hill have created a strong foundation for themselves, as well as for any who wish to practice the faith on campus. Dahlin, Sparkman, Mayer and Sander are the only currently active members of the Tufts CSO, which meets once a week.
These meetings serve as informal sessions for discussion, reflection and healing among the group's members. The organization also provides a support network for its members and keeps them in touch with their spiritual base throughout the college experience.
Sander said the CSO intends to make their faith a more visible — or at least accessible — part of life for the rest of the Tufts community.
"It's nice to reflect on our challenges and our victories, to talk about our healings and help each other out," Sander said. "The next step for us as a CSO is to share more with our community."
According to both Dahlin and Mayer, the CSO has an interest in interacting more with both the Christian and interfaith communities at Tufts. Sander suggested the group might bring in a Christian Science lecturer, which Dahlin said Tufts Christian Scientists have done successfully in the past. However, Mayer said, the focus of the religion is not on establishing a strong community presence, but rather on building a personal relationship with one's spirituality.
"It's a personal thing," Mayer said. "I don't concern myself with how healthy or strong our student presence is."
The college experience doesn't always align perfectly with Christian Science standards. Immunization requirements can prove a challenge for followers who prefer to rely on prayer over medicine. Difficulties arise especially when it comes to drugs and alcohol, prohibited in the sect's teachings.
"It's impossible for that not to have some effect on how you interact, especially in a college setting," Sparkman said.
Difficulties in the medical sphere arise from some common misconceptions about Christian Scientists, Mayer said. Among these misconceptions, he noted, is the assumption that they take an antagonistic stance toward doctors and medicine, and therefore are "backward" in a modern society. Another, he said, is that they ignore their medical problems. According to Mayer, neither of these is the case.
"Prayer is the health care program," she said. "We're not ignoring the problem, just addressing it differently."
Although challenges do exist for followers, Christian Science values coexist with and even reinforce those of Tufts for the most part. Both institutions, Sparkman said, place heavy emphasis on community building and improving one's world.
"One thing that I certainly feel about Christian Science is that an individual has the ability to make changes in the world around them, whether as an instrument of God or just as an outstanding human being," Sparkman said. "That's something that Tufts students tend to express as well."
Christian Science serves as a moral and spiritual grounding point for its followers at Tufts, with a strong personal connection to God guiding their daily lives and futures.
"It's a source of inspiration; it's a foundation," Dahlin said. "It's given me a desire to understand the world I live in and be a force of good within it."
