Nuanced
Bible contains human errors; spiritual meaning unlocked through Science
Christian Science acknowledges that the Bible contains errors at the literal level. These errors result from human transcription, translation, and interpretation over centuries. However, the spiritual meaning underlying the biblical text is infallible and divine. The task of the Christian Scientist is to discern this spiritual sense beneath the sometimes-flawed literal wording.
Mary Baker Eddy emphasized that the spiritual content of Scripture is inerrant, even if the material presentation is not. Science and Health provides the key to recovering the true spiritual meaning of biblical passages, revealing their perfect consistency with divine Truth.
Key Distinctions
- Inerrancy scope:
- Bible contains human errors at the literal level; spiritual sense (revealed by Eddy) is reliable
- Hermeneutic approach:
- Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures is the necessary interpretive key
Scripture References
Sources
- Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy