The Christian Science Journal, in an effort to support Christian Scientists in their prayers for Christianity in general and in their ecumenical activities, wants to bring readers’ attention to a basic ecumenical tool that has been developed—a “Self-Understanding” document. The format of this paper is a familiar one in religious communities, where Self-Understanding documents are standard.
Often one of the first questions that comes up in discussions with people of other faith traditions is—Who are you? As The Mother Church has been responding to an increasing number of inquiries about the identity of Christian Science lately, the need for a carefully written response specifically for this purpose has become apparent.
One of the biggest questions our Church has encountered in our 21st-century discussions is the Christian identity of Christian Science. That question may well seem obvious to Christian Scientists, as it is part of the name! But Christians of all traditions—from Baptists to Methodists, Disciples of Christ, Pentecostals, Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Quakers, Orthodox, Seventh-day Adventists, and Mennonites—have been asking us to explain more specifically where we stand on various Christian questions.
