timeline – The Ex-Christian Scientist

The following timeline is designed to put Christian Science after Mary Baker Eddy’s passing in context with medical advances and historical events of the day. Bolded events are of importance to the Christian Science movement, and the context in which they occur should be taken into account.

This is by no means an exhaustive timeline, merely a starting place for further exploration.

Timeline of Christian Science, Medical Advances, and Historical Events (1920 – present):

1920s

1919 – 1924: Great Litigation Eustace vs. Dickey, and Dittemore vs. Dickey continues.

1920: Nineteenth Amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote.
1921: Frederick Banting and Charles Best discover insulin – important for the treatment of diabetes.
1922: Revelation of St. John an Open Book – by Irvin Clinton Tomlinson is published.
1928: Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin.

1930s

1936: American Medical Association’s Council on Foods becomes Council on Foods & Nutrition; council offers AMA Seal of Acceptance to food manufacturers who pass advertising and content tests and who conform with Food and Drug Act; council encourages enriching milk with vitamin D to prevent rickets, and salt with iodine to prevent goiter. In 1938, it publishes The Normal Diet, containing the first authoritative dietary recommendations for Americans.
1938: In April of this year, a six-member committee of editors and former editors of Christian Science periodicals was assembled “to discover just what Mrs. Eddy believed concerning herself with respect to Scriptural prophecy.” The committee was given access to Mrs. Eddy’s private correspondence, and published writings. (http://www.endtime.org/2ndcoming/2ndcoming.html)

1940s

1943: The Christian Science Board of Directors published a statement that Mrs. Eddy regarded herself as having fulfilled Bible prophecy in the July issue of the Christian Science Journal.
1948: The Destiny of The Mother Church, by Bliss Knapp is written. Controversy begins as Board of Directors sends letter pointing out its false views. Instead of revising it, Knapp left a trust with approximately $100 million (in 1990s dollars) to revert to The Mother Church if it ever published his work as ‘authorized literature’.

1950s

1955: polio vaccine was first announced.

1960s

1963: Nancy Brewster, age seven dies of an undiagnosed condition, “probable malignant lymphoma” according to her death certificate. Her Christian Scientist parents did not seek medical attention for her.
1967: Lisa Sheridan, age five of Cape Cod, Massachusetts dies of pneumonia. She had been sick for a number of weeks, and her Christian Scientist mother did not seek medical treatment for her. This case is the subject of a book by journalist Leo Damore, The Crime of Dorothy Sheridan.

1970s

1971: MMR (Mumps, Measles, Rubella) vaccine became available. It is a combination of previously separate vaccines for each of these three viruses.
1974: The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (Public Law 93-247) (also known as CAPTA) was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Nixon. Among its provisions was one that required states to insert an exemption into their child protection laws that protect Christian Scientist parents from prosecution if their children die or suffer harm due to the practice of Christian Science, or risk losing federal funding for child protection. As a result, most states adopt such exemptions into their laws.
1977: Matthew Swan dies at the age of 16 months due to spinal meningitis after his parents unsuccessfully tried to treat him through prayer in Christian Science. His parents, Rita and Doug Swan, later left the Church and founded C.H.I.L.D., Inc.

1980s

1983: The U.S. federal requirement for religious exemptions in CAPTA (see above) to prosecution under child protection laws was repealed. Despite this, more than 30 states still retain these exemptions in some form.
1983: C.H.I.L.D. is formed to end child abuse or neglect related to religion, cultural practices, or quackery through public education, research, legal action, and a limited amount of lobbying. http://childrenshealthcare.org
1984: Shauntay Walker, age four, dies of untreated meningitis after her mother, a convert to Christian Science, does not seek medical attention for her.
1984: Monitor Radio is launched.
1986: Robyn Twitchell, age two dies due to an obstructed bowel after his Christian Scientist parents did not seek medical treatment for him.
1986: Amy Hermanson, age seven died from untreated diabetes, which her Christian Scientist parents did not have medically treated.
1986: WQTV, a Boston-area television station is purchased by The Christian Science Publishing Society.
1987: WCSN a shortwave radio station constructed by The Christian Science Publishing Society begins broadcasting from Maine.
1988: World Monitor television program launched–broadcast on the Discovery Channel.
1989: WSHB a shortwave radio station in South Carolina, built by The Christian Science Publishing Society, begins operations.
1989: Ian Lundmann, age 11 dies from untreated diabetes after his Christian Scientist parents did not seek medical attention for him.

1990s

1990: Ginger and David Twitchell are convicted of manslaughter in the 1986 death of their son Robyn. The conviction is later overturned by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned the conviction, and this led to the repeal of the exemption in Massachusetts law to prosecution of parents who deny their children medical care on religious grounds.
1991 – April: The Destiny of The Mother Church is published as ‘authorized literature’ by The Christian Science Publishing Society.
1991: The Monitor Chanel is launched on May 15th.
1992: Andrew Wantland, age 12 dies from untreated diabetes due to his parents’ refusal to seek medical attention for him.
1992: The Monitor Channel ceases operations.
1993: WQTV is sold to Boston University.
1994: WCSN is sold to World Voice of Historic Adventism, Inc.
1994: ‘Trade Edition’ of Science and Health is published.
1996: McKown v. Lundman, 516 U. S. 1099, cert. denied (1996), is the first suit in the wrongful death of a Christian Science child to be presented to a jury. The higher court ruling that Christian Science ‘providers’ have a duty to obtain medical care for a sick child may make them less reckless in children’s cases. (via http://childrenshealthcare.org/?page_id=132, read more: http://childrenshealthcare.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/1993-03-fnl.pdf)
1997: Monitor Radio is shut down.

2000s

2002: The Mary Baker Eddy Library opens. Its underlying purpose is so the Christian Science Church can retain copyright over all unpublished writings of Mary Baker Eddy. This includes letters and articles not in the actual possession of the Church or Library.
2004: WSHB, is sold to LeSEA Broadcasting.
2009: The Christian Science Monitor publishes its last daily print edition on March 27th. As a cost-saving measure, it moves to an on-line platform, with a weekly news-magazine and daily subscription-based e-mail updates.

2010s

March 23, 2010: New York Times Christian Science Church Seeks Truce With Modern Medicine.
2010: The Affordable Care Act, popularly known as ‘ObamaCare’ is signed into law, requiring all residents of the United States to carry ‘appropriate’ health insurance. It does not contain a suitable exemption for Christian Scientists regarding the mandate to carry health insurance. The exemption that does exist applies narrowly to a few groups such as the Amish and Mennonites.
2010: The Christian Science Church unveils plans to redevelop the Christian Science Plaza in Boston.

Additional Timelines:

Timeline of Medicine & Medical Technology @ Wikipedia
Timeline of 19th Century Events @ Wikipedia
Timeline of Feminism in the US @ Wikipedia
An annotated chronology of events in Mary Baker Eddy’s life @ Mary Baker Eddy Library
Biographical Chronology of Mary Baker Eddy @ Longyear Museum
Timeline at Spirituality 4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_medicine_and_medical_technology#1800.E2.80.931899me (Mother Church site in the UK)
God in America @ PBS
The Mary Baker Eddy Library has a timeline which runs from 1821-1917: http://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/mary-baker-eddy/timeline which includes far more details of the early years of Ms. Eddy’s life and founding of TMC.
http://marybakereddy.rolf-witzsche.com/christian_science/index.html
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/mary-baker-eddy-82.php
http://www.bing.com/blogs/bingsearch/f/12244/p/677417/9686143.aspx#9686143
http://timerime.com/en/timeline/1672221/The+History+of+Christian+Science/
http://community.principia.edu/about-principia/history/timeline
http://www.newthoughthistory.org/page2/index.html
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-history/ama-history-timeline.page?

The ExCS

This site offers support resources to help individuals negotiate a transition in a manner that best fits their needs and convictions. We do not advocate any one particular path but acknowledge that there are many legitimate pathways that can be personally and spiritually fulfilling.

The following timeline is designed to put Mary Baker Eddy’s life and discovery of Christian Science in historical context by showing Eddy’s achievements along with medical advances and historical events of the day. Bolded events are of importance to the Christian Science movement, and the context in which they occur should be taken into account.

This is by no means an exhaustive timeline, merely a starting place for further exploration.

1810s

1812–1815: War of 1812 between the United States and Britain.

1820s

1820: Missouri Compromise.
1821: July 16 – Mary Morse Baker is born in Bow, New Hampshire.
1827-1912: Joseph Lister Anti-septic surgery, Father of modern surgery.

1830s

1830: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is established.
1831–1836: Charles Darwin’s journey on the HMS Beagle.

1840

1842: Crawford Long performs the first surgical operation using anesthesia with ether.
1843: The first wagon train sets out from Missouri
1843: Eddy marries her first husband – George Washington Glover.
1844: Eddy’s first husband, George Washington Glover, dies.
1844: September 12 – Eddy’s son and only child, George Washington Glover II is born.
1846: First painless surgery with general anesthetic
1847: American Medical Association (AMA) establishes standards for preliminary medical education and for the degree of MD.
1848: AMA recommends that the value of anesthetic agents in medicine, surgery and obstetrics be determined. AMA notes the dangers of universal traffic in secret remedies and patent medicine.
1849: AMA establishes a board to analyze quack remedies and nostrums and to enlighten the public in regard to the nature and danger of such remedies.

1850s

1853: Eddy marries her second husband, Daniel Patterson, a dentist.

1860s

1861–1865: American Civil War between the Union and seceding Confederacy.
1862: Eddy becomes a patient of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby.
1866: Quimby dies (January).
1866: Mary Baker Eddy’s fall on the ice in Lynn, Massachusetts.
1867: Lister publishes Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery, based partly on Pasteur’s work.
1867: The United States purchases Alaska from Russia.
1868: AMA Committee on Ethics strongly advocates recognition of regularly educated and qualified female physicians.

1870s

1870: Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch establish the germ theory of disease.
1873: Eddy divorces her second husband, Daniel Patterson.
1875: Eddy first publishes Science & Health (revised through 1910).
1876: AMA adopts a resolution promoting sanitary municipal water supplies and sewer systems.
1877: Eddy marries her third husband, Asa Gilbert Eddy.
1879: First vaccine for cholera.
1879: Eddy establishes the Christian Science Church.

1880s

1881: Eddy founds the Massachusetts Metaphysical College (closes it in 1889).
1882: Eddy’s third husband, Asa Gilbert Eddy, dies.
1883: The Christian Science Journal is founded.
1889: Eiffel Tower is inaugurated in Paris
1889: Aspirin patented
1889: Eddy closes the Massachusetts Metaphysical College (but retains its charter).
1889: The Christian Science Publishing Society is founded.

1890s

1890: Emil von Behring discovers antitoxins and uses them to develop tetanus and diphtheria vaccines.
1890: Woodbury scandal.
1890: The Christian Science Quarterly is first published.
1892: Church reorganized as The First Church of Christ, Scientist; Eddy moves to Pleasant View in Concord, New Hampshire.
1894: Original Mother Church Edifice is completed.
1894: The Bible and Science and Health are ordained as the pastor of The Mother Church.
1895: The Bible and Science and Health are ordained as the pastor of Christian Science branch churches.
1897: Eddy publishes Miscellaneous Writings 1883 – 1896.
1898: Christian Science Weekly, later to be named The Christian Science Sentinel is first published.
1899: AMA appoints a committee to report on the nature of tuberculosis, means of control, public education and advisability of establishing national and state sanitariums. AMA urges that local boards of health adopt laws requiring compulsory smallpox vaccination.
1899: Massachusetts Metaphysical College is re-opened as an auxiliary to the Church.

1900s

1901: Karl Landsteiner discovers the existence of different human blood types.
1903: The Herald of Christian Science is first published.
1904: AMA establishes the Council on Medical Education to accelerate campaign to raise educational requirements for physicians.
1904: Christian Science Organizations for colleges and universities are established.
1905: AMA establishes Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry to set standards for drug manufacturing and advertising and fight the war on quack patent medicines and nostrum trade.
1906: Frederick Hopkins suggests the existence of vitamins and suggests that a lack of vitamins causes scurvy and rickets.
1906: The ‘Extension’ of The Mother Church edifice is completed.
1907: Mark Twain publishes Christian Science.
1907: March – ‘Next Friends’ lawsuit – William Chandler, a former New Hampshire state senator, filed a suit on behalf of a group of plaintiffs referred to as Mrs. Eddy’s “next friends.” They included Mrs. Eddy’s son, George Glover, her granddaughter, Mary Baker Glover, her nephew, George W. Baker, and others. The stated object of the so-called ‘Next Friends’ suit was to declare the 85-year-old Eddy incompetent to manage her own interests and income.
1908: The Christian Science Monitor, a daily newspaper, is started; Eddy moves to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

1910s

1910: February 10 – H.P. Toler suicide – “victim of religious mania, believed himself persecuted by Christian Science Leaders.”
1910: December 3 – Mary Baker Eddy dies at age 89.
1919: Start of Great Litigation (would continue through 1924) Eustace vs. Dickey, and Dittemore vs. Dickey.