Talk:Massachusetts Metaphysical College

How Many Students Did Mary Baker Eddy Teach at MMC?
She says 4 thousand while Dittemore has a much shorter list. How is this discrepancy resolved?

Miscellaneous details about Mrs. Eddy's college and Christian Science Class Instruction
College was originally at 569 Columbus Avenue but moved to 571 Columbus Ave in Boston circa 1884. Building was Mrs. Eddy's 3 story brownstone home and used ground floor for classes; as she moved to other houses, she kept house for college/church use. During her tenure at the college, Mrs. Eddy styled herself: "Mary Baker G. Eddy, Professor of Christian Science or Metaphysical Healing". Only students who were taught directly in the classroom by Mrs. Eddy have the designation "CSD" (Christian Science Doctor) after their name. Many of them later wrote books with or without CSD after their name as author. Obstetrics course was taught by adopted son, J. Ebenezer Foster-Eddy. (Curriculum had been published in 20th century in limited edition.)   He had been a doctor and came into CS but the well-intentioned course was heavily influenced by physical anatomy and not the spiritual/healing metaphysics taught in Science and Health and when Mrs. Eddy discovered this, she discontinued this class. He later held administrative posts in the church and publishing enterprise but eventually became alienated from and dis-respectful of his adopted Mother. The Massachusetts Metaphysical College has a special place in the history of Christian Science because it concretely shows that Mrs. Eddy saw the primary avenue for explaining her revelation was through teaching and not churches. Mrs. Eddy refers to this in the Preface to Science and Health, page XI, line 23: "......there came the charge to plant and water His vineyard." There is no mention at all in the body of her seminal work, Science and Health, of the Christian Science Church. It is briefly mentioned in the preface to account for biographical time spent up to that date, but in the book, the CS Church is never mentioned or referred to or implied in any way as a resource or help to someone seeking healing -- Science and Health contains the teaching necessary. Mrs. Eddy even left money in her will for free Christian Science classes to be given for aspiring practitioners from all over the country in Boston; but as with several other of her expressed written directives in her will, Deeds of Trust and Church Manual, continued disobedience has completely given Animal Magnetism the reins of the organization up to the present day. Several students diluted the teaching and started large teaching institutes and organizations in other cities, some of which spawned other denominations. These small-minded people found it easy to teach people to see the world through rose-colored glasses but would not intellectually make a break with old religious teachings and false beliefs to study the whole problem of evil and how to handle it through prayer alone and be a consistent healer like Jesus of Nazareth. There are many books and memoirs that record who was helping Mrs. Eddy during which years at the College, ie., Calvin Frye, etc. The work of the Metaphysical College has continued uninterrupted to this day through Primary Class Instruction given by Christian Science Teachers, the Normal Class given by an experienced Christian Scientist (selected by the Board of Education of the Mother Church), and by Mrs. Eddy's writings. The designation "CSB" (Christian Science Board) means a person has committed to their own spiritual growth in following the teachings of Mrs. Eddy and S&H, and taken an advanced class, as in Matthew 17:14 - 21, to prepare them to teach others in a Primary Class to heal through Christian Science. The relationship of a Christian Science Teacher to their student is a lifelong commitment and great care is taken in screening students for Primary Class to make sure they are ready for the study involved. Students are requested to be healed of major complaints before taking a Primary Class so they can get the full benefit out of the study. To take a Normal Class usually requires at least three years in public healing practice but in actuality most have at least 10 years before taking this step. In Mrs. Eddy's time this was not possible because CS was new and many enthusiastic and sincere students were taught but the seed did not fall on good ground in all cases, and for various reasons many of the early students from the Metaphysical College are lost to history. Mrs. Eddy, at this time, had secretary, Calvin Frye, working with her daily, for a part of the time her 3rd husband, Dr. Eddy, and others, so the researchers who attribute a discrepancy to faulty memory have no justification for such a conclusion. Sometimes students had to be put out of class because they were disruptive or had an emergency at home, any number of reasons. Mrs. Eddy spent years revising and even correcting mistakes in Science and Health but she never changed her estimate of 4,000 students taught at the College. A Teacher usually continues their full-time healing practice after teaching classes, holding Association Meetings with ongoing teaching and review of current events in a speech to the students, and helping students with their individual problems or questions. This is following the example of Mrs. Eddy at the Metaphysical College. At various times there were Associations from the College and Mrs. Eddy's classes. As Christian Science spread Mrs. Eddy began to consider all church members her students and thousands ended up going to hear her speak at invited times on the lawn of her home in Concord, New Hampshire on Pleasant Street (1894 to 1907) as a sort of Association Meeting with their Teacher, the author of Science and Health--the Founder, Discoverer and Leader of the Christian Science Movement, which Movement is a movement of consciousness from relying on a material basis to a spiritual one: as Jesus said: 'Follow me in the regeneration...." mj72.186.123.229 (talk) 02:57, 19 August 2012 (UTC)

CS Church Manual provision for Metaphysical College certification
http://www.mbeinstitute.org/Helen/LettersArchive/Letter14.pdf

""THE BOARD OF EDUCATION The Board of Education also ceased to exist after Mrs. Eddy’s departure, since the signature of the President of the College (Mrs. Eddy) was called for on all certificates (Manual, p. 91, Sect. 3.) Mrs. Eddy never resigned the presidency. Therefore, since 1910 there could be no new “certified” teachers. All who were spiritually fit could be teachers."" from Helen Marie Wright Letter referenced above72.186.123.229 (talk) 05:45, 20 August 2012 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.186.123.229 (talk) 05:29, 20 August 2012 (UTC)

Chronological history of College from Longyear Museum website
http://www.longyear.org/mary_baker_eddy/teacher/en_metaphysical_college

"" THE MASSACHUSETTS METAPHYSICAL COLLEGE 569 and 571 Columbus Avenue, Boston, homes of Mary Baker Eddy and the Massachusetts Metaphysical College

The Massachusetts Metaphysical College was chartered in January 1881. The first sessions were conducted in Lynn. In 1882 the Eddys moved to Boston, and the College re-opened at 569 Columbus Avenue with Mrs. Eddy as its president and virtually its only teacher.

During the seven years in Boston, what had begun in 1867 as one student alone with the teacher expanded to classrooms full of students, and then to Christian Science Institutes and practitioners of Christian Science healing from coast to coast and overseas.

The growth is documented by listings in the bi-monthly Journal of Christian Science, which Mrs. Eddy established in 1883, and which grew into a monthly publication, renamed The Christian Science Journal. By the end of the decade hundreds from around the country were applying to enter her classes.

In March 1889 she taught her largest Primary class ever: sixty-five students. But her Normal class that year would be her last classroom teaching in Boston. After that class she left Boston and, during the next few months, closed the College."" ````mj

Chronological history of College from Longyear Museum website
http://www.longyear.org/mary_baker_eddy/teacher/en_metaphysical_college

"" THE MASSACHUSETTS METAPHYSICAL COLLEGE 569 and 571 Columbus Avenue, Boston, homes of Mary Baker Eddy and the Massachusetts Metaphysical College

The Massachusetts Metaphysical College was chartered in January 1881. The first sessions were conducted in Lynn. In 1882 the Eddys moved to Boston, and the College re-opened at 569 Columbus Avenue with Mrs. Eddy as its president and virtually its only teacher.

During the seven years in Boston, what had begun in 1867 as one student alone with the teacher expanded to classrooms full of students, and then to Christian Science Institutes and practitioners of Christian Science healing from coast to coast and overseas.

The growth is documented by listings in the bi-monthly Journal of Christian Science, which Mrs. Eddy established in 1883, and which grew into a monthly publication, renamed The Christian Science Journal. By the end of the decade hundreds from around the country were applying to enter her classes.

In March 1889 she taught her largest Primary class ever: sixty-five students. But her Normal class that year would be her last classroom teaching in Boston. After that class she left Boston and, during the next few months, closed the College."" ````mj — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.186.123.229 (talk) 13:20, 21 August 2012 (UTC)