Nuanced
Jesus is not God; the Christ-principle is divine; Jesus demonstrated Truth
Christian Science distinguishes between Jesus and the Christ. Jesus of Nazareth was a man who perfectly demonstrated the Christ-principle—the divine ideal and eternal idea within God's Mind. The Christ is divine and eternal; Jesus, while a human expressing this divine nature perfectly, is not himself God.
Christ is not the exclusive possession of Jesus but the universal truth available to all. Jesus' primary mission was to show humanity the way to spiritual understanding and healing through recognition of divine Truth. His life and teachings are the perfect example of Christian Science in practice.
Key Distinctions
- Natures formula:
- Jesus the human demonstrates the Christ-principle; Christ is divine idea; Jesus is not God himself
- Conciliar affiliation:
- all Christological councils rejected; distinction between Jesus (person) and Christ (divine idea)
Scripture References
Sources
- Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy