Until defined in Christian Science, soul generally was thought of as something of a nebulous nature, something which was supposed to enter the body at birth, to escape from it at death, and then to go into an eternity of bliss or woe. Though capable of joy and suffering, this shadowy being was believed to be immortal.
One dictionary definition of the word "soul" is, "Animating principle, or actuating cause of life, or of the individual life." This definition is one with which Christian Science agrees, since Mary Baker Eddy declares in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 466), "Soul or Spirit signifies Deity and nothing else." Principle and Soul being synonymous terms for God, Soul is indeed the vital Principle of man and the universe; therefore Soul is never found in matter, nor can it be enclosed in the human body.
Since Soul is a synonym for God, there can only be one Soul or Spirit, and therefore when we mean God, we spell Soul with a capital letter. When we do not mean God, we use the word "soul" with a small letter. For example, we may say that a man is "the soul of honor," meaning that honor is the very essence of his character.
