Nuanced
Rock = Truth/spiritual understanding; Church built on perception of divine principle
Christian Science reinterprets Matthew 16:18 spiritually. The 'rock' is not Peter the person but spiritual understanding or consciousness of divine Truth. The confession 'You are the Christ' represents awakening to the reality of divine Principle. The church, in Christian Science understanding, is not an institutional organization but a communion of individual consciousnesses awakened to Truth. Peter (meaning 'stone' in Aramaic) symbolizes the mineral-like consciousness that must be transformed by spiritual understanding. The keys represent power to understand and demonstrate spiritual law.
Key Distinctions
- Rock referent:
- spiritual understanding; not Peter
- Peter role:
- communion of awakened consciousness; not institution
- Papal primacy:
Scripture References
Sources
- Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy