Christian Science on trial
Book Description
Historian Rennie B. Schoepflin unveils a fascinating chapter in American spiritual and medical history, exploring how Christian Science emerged as a legitimate healing practice during a pivotal era of change. This meticulously researched work reveals how practitioners of this faith-based approach to wellness didn't merely preach their beliefs, but actively established a thriving healing enterprise that provided genuine therapeutic alternatives for countless individuals who found conventional medicine inadequate.
Set against the backdrop of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this compelling narrative chronicles the intense struggle between two competing visions of healthcare in America. Schoepflin demonstrates how the medical establishment's determined efforts to suppress and marginalize Christian Science practitioners actually exposed deep insecurities within the profession about who truly held authority over American healthcare.
Through detailed examination of courtroom battles and legislative conflicts, readers witness the dramatic legal confrontations that shaped both religious freedom and medical practice. The author skillfully traces how these disputes evolved from fundamental questions about medical licensing and therapeutic choice to complex debates involving public health, contagious disease control, and children's welfare.
This scholarly yet accessible exploration offers valuable insights into the ongoing tension between spiritual healing and conventional medicine, illuminating how Christian Science practitioners navigated their unique position as both religious healers and medical alternatives in an increasingly regulated healthcare landscape.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)
🕉️ Tradition: Buddhism
📄 Length: 301 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Médecine
- ✓ Explore Legislation and jurisprudence
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects of Medicine
- ✓ Explore RELIGION
- ✓ Explore Christian Science
- ✓ Explore Aspect religieux
- ✓ Explore Science chrétienne
- ✓ Explore Medicine, religious aspects
