Rolling Away the Stone: Mary Baker Eddy's Challenge to Materialism (Religion in North America)

**"Gottschalk distinguishes himself by placing Christian Science in the larger context of American religion . . . sheds new light on Eddy's life and work." —__Publishers Weekly__**This richly detailed study highlights the last two decades of the life of Mary Baker Eddy, a prominent religious thinker whose character and achievement are just beginning to be understood. It is the first book-length discussion of Eddy to make full use of the resources of the Mary Baker Eddy Collection in Boston. focuses on her long-reaching legacy as a Christian thinker, specifically her challenge to the materialism that threatens religious belief and practice.**"Gottschalk has provided readers with a masterful account of Christian Science in its heyday. This book is a first-rate read for students of American religion and provides a look into how one of the country's more complex religious figures dealt with materialism in the late-nineteenth-century America." —__Religious Studies Review__****"Gottschalk does a superb job of providing historical context for the chaotic events of Eddy's final decades." —__Choice__****"Gottschalk's account is well told and enriched by fresh material now available from the Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity." —__Christian Science Monitor__****"The book includes a great deal of fresh research and honest scholarship . . . for the individual wanting to sink his or her teeth into a serious study of Eddy . . . you have a lot to look forward to in reading this book." —__The Christian Science Journal__**

Rolling Away the Stone is a richly detailed account of the last two decades of the life of Mary Baker Eddy, a major religious thinker whose character and achievement are just beginning to be understood. This is the first book-length discussion of Eddy to make full use of the resources of the Mary Baker Eddy Collection in Boston. It focuses on her long-range legacy as a Christian thinker, specifically her challenge to the materialism that continues to threaten religious belief and practice in our time.

Hoping to retire in 1889 after seven turbulent years founding the Christian Science movement, Eddy believed the demands upon her would ease. Instead, during the 1890s and 1900s, she entered into the most active and fruitful period of her long life, becoming a nationally and even internationally known figure. The radical character of Eddy's teaching, together with her position as a woman religious leader in a male-dominated society, aroused storm clouds of controversy that have continued to swirl around her memory today. The book opens with an account of the critical point in this controversy when her very sanity was challenged in a litigation that became one of the first media events of the 20th century.

Stephen Gottschalk also traces the fascinating relation between Eddy's encounter with the problem of evil in the first half of her life and how Mark Twain, her best-known adversary, faced the same issue during his later years. Gottschalk then explores how Eddy's challenge to materialism shaped her response to a series of crises that arose as she brought her life's work to completion. This is a sensitive and serious biography of an important figure in American religioushistory.

A. J. Scopino, Jr.

- Religious Studies Review

The book is a first-rate read for students of American religion and provides a look into how one of the country's more complex religious figures dealt with materialism in the late nineteenth-century America.

"Gottschalk distinguishes himself by placing Christian Science in the larger context of American religion . . . sheds new light on Eddy's life and work." — Publishers Weekly This richly detailed study highlights the last two decades of the life of Mary Baker Eddy, a prominent religious thinker whose character and achievement are just beginning to be understood. It is the first book-length discussion of Eddy to make full use of the resources of the Mary Baker Eddy Collection in Boston. Rolling Away the Stone focuses on her long-reaching legacy as a Christian thinker, specifically her challenge to the materialism that threatens religious belief and practice. "Gottschalk has provided readers with a masterful account of Christian Science in its heyday. This book is a first-rate read for students of American religion and provides a look into how one of the country's more complex religious figures dealt with materialism in the late-nineteenth-century America." — Religious Studies Review "Gottschalk does a superb job of providing historical context for the chaotic events of Eddy's final decades." — Choice "Gottschalk's account is well told and enriched by fresh material now available from the Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity." — Christian Science Monitor "The book includes a great deal of fresh research and honest scholarship . . . for the individual wanting to sink his or her teeth into a serious study of Eddy . . . you have a lot to look forward to in reading this book." — The Christian Science Journal Rolling Away The Stone Is A Richly Detailed Account Of The Last Two Decades Of The Life Of Mary Baker Eddy, A Major Religious Thinker Whose Character And Achievement Are Just Beginning To Be Understood. This First Book-length Discussion Of Eddy To Make Full Use Of The Resources Of The Mary Baker Eddy Collection In Boston Focuses As No Other Previous Book Has On Her Long-range Legacy As A Christian Thinker, Specifically Her Challenge To The Materialism That - In Changing Forms - Continues To Threaten Religious Belief And Practice In Our Time.--jacket. Prelude: The World's Leaden Weight -- O God, Is It All! -- Becoming Mrs. Eddy -- By What Authority? : On Christian Ground -- By What Authority? : Listening And Leading -- Woman Goes Forth -- The Visible Unity Of Spirit -- The Preparation Of The Heart -- Ayont Hate's Thrall -- A Power, Not A Place -- The Outflowing Life Of Christianity -- The Kingdoms Of This World -- Elijah's Mantle -- Coda : The Prophetic Voice. Stephen Gottschalk. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [459]-468) And Index.