Manual of the Mother Church

Church membership, religious belief and practical administration meet in Mary Baker Eddy's manual for the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston. The opening sets out six tenets concerning the Bible, God, Christ, forgiveness and the duties of believers. A historical sketch follows the church's formation in 1879 and its reorganization in 1892, before the text turns to the names, selection and responsibilities of its officers.

The numbered articles connect those beliefs with detailed arrangements for church life. They specify requirements for forming branch churches, affirm each branch's democratic government and define the responsibilities of directors and a finance committee. Rules for audits and financial reports sit alongside provisions for Christian fellowship among churches and societies. For readers studying Christian Science, the manual offers a direct account of how its central church organized authority, membership and money. Its combination of tenets and administrative rules also makes it useful for examining how a religious institution expresses its beliefs through everyday procedures.