Since 1904, faculty and students have been providing opportunities for people on university and college campuses to become familiar with practical concepts in Science and Health. These faculty and students, members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, have formed organizations that are open to participation by students and faculty on their campus, regardless of their individual faith traditions. And in various ways—including lectures about Christian Science—many of them have responded to specific issues on campus.
So it isn't surprising that the events of September 11, 2001 galvanized members of Christian Science organizations to provide a spiritual response. At the same time, an increased interest in spiritual and religious subjects also opened the way to explore other relevant issues. And the people who came to these events were helped. After hearing one speaker quote from Science and Health, a member of the audience said, "These ideas seem so natural and comforting." Some students wanted to know how to get copies of Science and Health and asked if they could discuss the ideas in the book on a regular basis.
As these organizations continue to expand on campuses around the world, students are finding them to be a welcome forum for investigating spirituality. Professors and students enjoy talking freely about their relationship to God and about prayer that can produce dependable results. In fact, last year the number of talks sponsored by these organizations increased by nearly 170 percent.
