Although the word Soul is not directly used in the Bible as a synonym for God, it was revealed to Mary Baker Eddy through her search of the Scriptures that in its highest significance Soul is God, Spirit. And she so uses it in her revelation of the Science of being.
Soul signifies divine consciousness and is manifested in the spiritual idea of God, His reflection, man. God being divine consciousness and Soul being God and infinite, nothing exists outside of Soul's infinitude, nothing is separate from its harmony, beauty, and perfection. This is implied in the Messianic prophecy quoted in Matthew (12:18), "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased."
When the writer first took up the study of Christian Science she readily understood that the opposite of Spirit is so-called matter, the opposite of Mind is mortal mind, the opposite of Love is hatred, the opposite of Life is death, the opposite of Truth is error, and the opposite of Principle is chaos. But what is the opposite of Soul? After reading what our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, states in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 482), "As used in Christian Science, Soul is properly the synonym of Spirit, or God; but out of Science, soul is identical with sense, with material sensation," she saw that material sense is Soul's opposite. She also realized that Soul-sense is that which reveals man as spiritual, as perfect, Godlike, whole, complete; that it is never cognizant of the five material senses, though false belief would attempt to identify man with them; that material sense is the counterfeit of spiritual sense.
Man is seen in Science to be the reflection of the one infinite Being in its reality and eternality. He has an indestructible, immutable, harmonious existence inseparable from his creator, the one cause. As the expression of Spirit, Soul, the one divine consciousness, man is spiritual, individual consciousness, the reflection of Mind. He is the emanation of God, the embodiment of the concord and loveliness of Soul. As the individual manifests the attributes of Soul, such as truthfulness, orderliness, freedom, wisdom, spiritual seeing and hearing, health, and harmony, he identifies himself as the very evidence of God's being. Holding to this conception of man, he demonstrates the qualities of man as Soul's expression.
Too much cannot be said about the magnitude of the import of our acceptance of a true spiritual selfhood. One who had been suffering for some time from a severe physical condition, and who was almost in despair, said to her sister: "I am at last ready to have treatment in Christian Science. Please call a practitioner for me." She realized that she must give up personal prejudice and pride and be humble and willing to ask for this help. The difficulty was met immediately. Also, a growth which had held her in bondage for over three years fell away in the night. What a joyous occasion it was as she recognized in some degree what the practitioner was knowing for her: that in her true being she was Mind's own perfect concept, at one with infinite Spirit, all-harmonious Being.
How should we identify ourselves and our neighbor? The banker who loans money gives no heed to an individual's stature, whether he be tall or short, light or dark, but he seeks to ascertain whether he is honest, prompt in fulfilling obligations, thrifty, diligent, dependable, trustworthy.
Soul identifies its ideas spiritually. It manifests no identity or representation in or as matter. On page 477 of Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy answers the question, "What are body and Soul?" in part thus: "Identity is the reflection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love. Soul is the substance, Life, and intelligence of man, which is individualized, but not in matter." And she says further, "Man is the expression of Soul." The mortal concept also claims to be real, to have identity and individuality. The five material senses attempt to identify persons and things as finite and localized, whereas Soul knows only the reflection of Spirit, individualized consciousness, or spiritual man.
As one cannot think good and evil at the same time, one cannot have a material body and a spiritual body at the same time. Spiritual selfhood knows no material body. It exists only as the divine idea, the embodiment of Truth, the Christ. Knowing, as Christian Science tells us, that the opposite of error is true, we are able to prove that Spirit, Soul, is reflected in individual spiritual consciousness, or spiritual embodiment, and that our individual identity is the embodiment of Spirit.
If we contemplate vision as proceeding from material or mortal eyes, we find it subject to changeableness, accident, deterioration, and age. But the senses of Soul are never organic and mutable. Sight is spiritual discernment, a faculty of Soul made manifest as perfect vision, independent of lens, iris, retina, pupil, or any material structure. The understanding of sight as a faculty of Soul inevitably results in normal human vision. The belief of impaired vision is destroyed as the corporeal sense of sight is replaced with spiritual discernment and man and the universe are seen to be at one with the perfection and harmony of Soul.
In Christian Science we are taught to exchange material objects for Soul's ideas, and our progress in accomplishing this is in the measure of our utilization of the senses of Soul. Everything material must be translated back into Spirit. As Soul-sense appears, material sense disappears, and in place of the material we see a new heaven and a new earth here and now.
However real material sense testimony argues its presence and reality through what is termed the human consciousness, there is no dualism in Spirit. Soul and sense are always at variance because they are opposite in nature. Soul is the one infinite Life, intelligence, and substance, manifesting itself through spiritual, individual consciousness. Through Soul we gain the inspiration, revelation, recognition, and manifestation of the eternal ever-presence of God.
Mrs. Eddy defines "sun" in Science and Health (p. 595) as "the symbol of Soul governing man,—of Truth, Life, and Love." The sun governs our solar system; it gives light and warmth, which are prerequisite for all animal and vegetable life. The seed is germinated by the warmth of the sun, and the plant grows, buds, and blossoms and brings forth its fruitage to bless all mankind. Soul governs the systems of Mind. And it pours forth the attributes of Mind, God, giving the warmth of love and goodness to its creation. Soul manifests the perfection of substance, the government of Mind, the ever-presence of Spirit, the spiritual force of Principle, the light of intelligence. Soul is identical with Life, Truth, Love, Principle, Mind, Spirit. Thus we see that Soul is interchangeable with all the other synonyms of God, which together constitute our concept of Deity.
