For the last six years, a talk on Christian Science has been given at the Spirituality & Healing in Medicine conference, presented semi-annually by Harvard Medical School and The Mind/Body Institute of Deaconess Hospital, and jointly sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation. Hundreds of clergy, physicians, nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals attend the conferences and participate in a variety of workshops and talks. Last December, Virginia Harris, Chairman of the Board of Directors, was asked to speak on the "Spiritual Essence of the Writings of Mary Baker Eddy." The entire text of her address, edited slightly for print, appears below.
We're seeing proof in the individual lives of our patients.
When these conferences started six years ago, something profound was beginning to happen. On the one hand. patients and caregivers were yearning for a more spiritual approach to health. On the other hand, there were skeptics and those who doubted the place of spirituality in healthcare. But I think today, more and more, we have to agree that there is a momentum in the area of mind-body healing. The polls, the surveys, the research are all confirming this momentum. Even more importantly, there is solid proof in the individual lives of our patients as they experience spiritual healing and transformation.
