(RNS) Cheryl Petersen has updated the foundational text of the Church of Christ, Scientist for 21st century readers. Here are some side-by-side comparisons between Mary Baker Eddy’s original “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” from 1875 and Petersen’s revisions.
From Eddy’s “Science and Health”:
If a dissolute husband deserts his wife, certainly the wronged, and perchance impoverished, woman should be allowed to collect her own wages, enter into business agreements, hold real estate, deposit funds, and own her children free from interference.
From “21st Century Science and Health”:
Women and men are equally capable to earn wages, enter the business world and politics, care for the children, and protect their freedom without interference. If either spouse becomes corrupt, the other can courageously be dependent on God…
From Eddy’s “Science and Health”:
What is man?
Man is not matter; he is not made up of brain, blood, bones, and other material elements. The Scriptures inform us that man is made in the image and likeness of God.
From “21st Century Science and Health”:
What is person?
Person is not warped, unstable, or obscure. God’s child is not made up of the temporal brain, blood, bones, and other mortal elements. The Scriptures inform us that God’s child is made in the image and likeness of Spirit.