Christian Science
From a biblical Christian perspective, Christian Science is dangerous because it denies the reality of sin, sickness, and death, and substitutes faith in human understanding or “spiritual law” for reliance on God and His Word. While the Bible teaches that sin brought suffering and death into the world (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23), Christian Science claims that disease and evil are illusions to be overcome by mental or spiritual correction rather than by trusting in God’s providence and Christ’s redeeming work. This can lead people to reject medical care and practical wisdom, putting themselves and others at physical risk, while also promoting a false sense of spiritual security apart from Christ.
Christian Science is also wrong from a biblical perspective because it diminishes the person and work of Jesus. Instead of presenting Him as the incarnate Son of God who died and rose again to redeem humanity (John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4), it portrays Jesus as a model for human perfection or a teacher of metaphysical principles. By denying the full significance of His atoning sacrifice and the reality of human sin, Christian Science offers a counterfeit gospel that cannot save, leaving people spiritually blind and outside of the grace and forgiveness available only through faith in Jesus Christ.
Branches
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Church of Christ, Scientist (Mother Church, Boston)
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Christian Science Committee on Publication
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Christian Science Society
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Christian Science Benevolent Association
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Christian Science Monitor (though primarily a publication, it functions under the church)
Christian Science
“God is incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love.” (Science and Health 465:10–12)
God
Reality
“There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation.” (Science and Health 468:9–11)
Sin and Sickness
“Man is never sick, for Mind is not sick and matter cannot be.” (Science and Health 393:30–31)
“The belief in sin is punished so long as the belief lasts.” (Science and Health 481:5–6)
Christ
“Jesus was the human man, and Christ is the divine idea; hence the duality of Jesus the Christ.” (Science and Health 473:10–12)
Salvation
“The atonement of Christ reconciles man to God, not God to man.” (Science and Health 18:3–5)
“The material blood of Jesus was no more efficacious to cleanse from sin when it was shed upon ‘the accursed tree,’ than when it was flowing in His veins as He went daily about His Father’s business.” (Science and Health 25:6–9)
Resurrection
“The resurrection of the great demonstrator of God’s power was the proof of his final triumph over body and matter.” (Science and Health 42:26–28)
Scripture
“The Bible has been my only authority. I have had no other guide in ‘the straight and narrow way’ of Truth.” (Science and Health 126:29–31) yet “The spiritual interpretation of the Bible… reveals the great fact that Spirit is God.” (Science and Health 510:9–10)
Christianity
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
God
Reality
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)
Sin and Sickness
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree.” (1 Peter 2:24)
Christ
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)
“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9)
Salvation
“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3)
Resurrection
“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.” (Matthew 28:6)
“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17)
Scripture
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
“Do not go beyond what is written.” (1 Corinthians 4:6)
Objections
1. Claim: “God is all, and the material world is an illusion, so sickness and sin are unreal.”
Christian Response: Scripture teaches that God created the physical world and declared it good (Genesis 1:31). Sickness, sin, and suffering are real consequences of the fall (Romans 5:12; John 9:3). Denying their reality leads people away from the true provision God has made for healing and forgiveness through Christ.
2. Claim: “Prayer and understanding of God’s spiritual laws are sufficient to heal any illness.”
Christian Response: While prayer is powerful and encouraged (James 5:14–15), God often heals through natural means, medical care, and His providence. Christian Science’s denial of medicine and reliance solely on metaphysical “truth” can put lives at risk and ignores God’s ordained means of sustaining human life.
3. Claim: “Sin is an illusion; there is no real separation from God.”
Christian Response: Scripture clearly states that sin is real and has eternal consequences (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:2). Jesus’ death and resurrection were necessary to atone for humanity’s actual sins (1 Peter 2:24). Denying sin undermines the need for Christ’s saving work and leaves people in spiritual deception.
4. Claim: “Death is unreal; the soul is immortal and cannot be harmed by the body.”
Christian Response: Physical death is a reality, and Scripture teaches that eternal destiny depends on faith in Christ (Hebrews 9:27; John 11:25–26). Denying death and the consequences of sin gives false assurance and prevents people from seeking true salvation through Jesus.
5. Claim: “Matter is evil or unreal; God is purely Spirit, so the material world is irrelevant.”
Christian Response: God created matter and pronounced it good (Genesis 1:31). Jesus’ incarnation proves the reality and goodness of the material world—He took on flesh to redeem it (John 1:14; Colossians 1:16–17). Denying material reality rejects the biblical truth of Christ’s bodily resurrection and the future restoration of creation.
6. Claim: “Christian Science reveals the true understanding of God beyond Scripture.”
Christian Response: God’s revelation in Scripture is sufficient for salvation and godly living (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Any teaching that adds secret knowledge or substitutes human interpretation for God’s Word is a distortion (Galatians 1:8–9). Christian Science undermines the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.
7. Claim: “Healing and success come from aligning thought with spiritual law, not through faith in Christ.”
Christian Response: True healing and spiritual wholeness come from Christ alone (Isaiah 53:4–5; Matthew 8:16–17). Relying on human thought or metaphysical “laws” replaces dependence on God and obscures the gospel’s power to transform lives.
8. Claim: “There is no eternal punishment; God’s creation is entirely good.”
Christian Response: Scripture teaches that sin has real consequences and eternal judgment is a reality for those outside of Christ (Romans 6:23; Matthew 25:46). Denying hell or judgment diminishes God’s holiness and the seriousness of human sin.
9. Claim: “Science and medicine are unnecessary when one has proper understanding of God.”
Christian Response: God provides medicine, doctors, and wisdom as instruments of His care (Proverbs 17:22; Luke 10:34). Rejecting these gifts is a misuse of God’s provision and can lead to unnecessary suffering or death.
10. Claim: “Christian Science is the only true religion because it perceives the spiritual reality correctly.”
Christian Response: The Bible teaches that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, not through a new system of thought (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Any claim to exclusive spiritual insight outside of Scripture is a form of false teaching and spiritual deception.