Seekers and Scholars

Discover how seekers and scholars from a variety of disciplines have engaged with Mary Baker Eddy's life, ideas, and accomplishments. The final episode aired August 1, 2025. All 105 episodes in the series remain available.

105. Building character and community—Christian Science Organizations at college and university

Find out how Christian Science student and faculty groups have fostered healing and fellowship in a range of academic settings.

08-01
35:52

104. Christian Science and women innovators

From business franchising to the Hoover Dam, discover the spiritual foundations of the women responsible for designing them.

07-07
37:23

103. Poetry at the Christian Science Reading Room

Enjoy intimate readings of poems in Christian Science literature, from Mary Baker Eddy’s time to the present day.

06-01
40:07

102. Reading Genesis with Marilynne Robinson

Find out how Marilynne Robinson’s fresh insights on the book of Genesis relate to its spiritual significance for Mary Baker Eddy.

05-01
41:15

101. Tender and true—discussing archives at the American Society of Church History

Hear people from four institutions, including The Mary Baker Eddy Library, discuss the responsibilities involved in preserving religious history.

04-01
33:50

100. Caring for China—Sarah Pike Conger and the Empress Dowager

Learn how the wife of America’s ambassador to China drew on her deep faith to overcome attacks from Chinese combatants during the Boxer Rebellion.

03-01
34:34

99. Revisiting Violet Oakley’s spiritual vision and trailblazing art

Find out how the ideals of William Penn and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy inspired a leading twentieth-century artist’s portrayals of love and peace.

02-03
20:24

98. New insights at the Archives Open House

Listen to Library staff members illuminate Christian Science history through objects they exhibited from our collections.

01-01
35:49

97. Spiritual and musical evolutions in the Christian Science Hymnal

Hear the backstory of this beloved church songbook and learn how it compares with those of other religious traditions.

12-01
37:00

96. “Find ourselves in the place just right”—Shakers and Christian Science

Learn about the ways some Shaker communities embraced Christian Science teachings and healing—as well as how Mary Baker Eddy thought about their beliefs and practices.

11-01
32:52

95. Terms of endearment—Mary Baker Eddy and New Hampshire

Find out why the cultural and religious character of her native state meant so much to the founder of Christian Science.

10-01
36:20

94. In conversation—the Joseph Smith and Mary Baker Eddy papers

Listen as members of two major documentary editing projects discuss their work and its impact on religious history.

09-02
34:09

93. Listener’s choice: Revisiting “Psalms of Life—Mary Baker Eddy and 19th-century American poetry”

Learn why America’s passion for verse in the nineteenth century is meaningful for a Ugandan college student today.

08-01
46:43

92. Concord—spiritual quest and “the word” in the computer age

How can new technologies serve a person’s spiritual growth? Explore a powerful Christian Science study tool, through firsthand accounts of its development.

07-01
32:29

91. The Clerk and “the doings of the [Mother] Church”

How does a worldwide religious body stay connected? Explore some of the ways this interaction has worked for the Christian Science church, from its origins up to the present day.

06-01
32:16

90. Cherishing her Congregational roots—Mary Baker Eddy and the Boutons

Find out why Eddy described the teachings and work of a prominent New Hampshire minister as the “vestibule of Christian Science.”

05-01
32:03

89. Mary Baker Eddy’s argument with animal magnetism and “vitalism”

Hear about a nineteenth-century American culture fascinated with the vitalizing effects of psychic practices, and learn why Eddy saw them as delusional and dangerous.

04-01
32:13

88. Christian Science meets African women theologians

Learn how and why the untold stories of two pioneering Black African women Christian Scientists are resonating with contemporary women scholars and activists.

03-01
33:50

87. Frances Willard, Mary Baker Eddy, and Christian social reform

In 1932, the president of the temperance movement and the founder of Christian Science were voted two of America’s most important women leaders. Find out how they connected, and why.

02-01
33:17

86. The Christian Science Publishing House—a building for the world

Hear how this “living historical artifact” has been artfully fulfilling its purpose since 1932.

01-01
31:30

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