The discovery of the Science of Christ healing came four years later in conjunction with a momentous healing of her own, that of a spinal injury incurred from a fall which had left her struggling for her life. The healing came about instantaneously, completely, and apparently effortlessly.

This healing was realized in a moment of her greatest need. As her custom was, she had reached for her Bible and began contemplating the healing works of Christ Jesus, who had called himself both the Son of God, and the Son of Man. She reckoned that his marvelous healing works reflected certain fundamental truths and principles, reflected in universal natural laws that had enabled Jesus' works to be done. She reasoned that nothing happens in the real world that has not a fundamental universal principle supporting it, that allows things to happen, lawfully, and that such principles are not time dependent, but are ever operating, and are equally effective whenever they are applied. In other words, she realized that Christ Jesus' works reflect certain conditions of reality that apply to everyone and for all times.

This simple reasoning caused her healing. She never believed in magic, or miracles, or unique endowments and predestination. Since her childhood she had protested against such notions. She finally realized that whatever Christ Jesus had done, anyone  would be able to do likewise if the laws that Christ Jesus understood could be discovered and be applied again. This, she set out to accomplish.

During the first nine years after her own healing, that was coincident with her discovery of spiritual power, she wrote down the fundamentals of her discoveries, but did not published them until some years later as she had learned that this Science must first be reliably demonstrated by healing, before anything on the subject could be successfully published.

By 1875 this condition was met. Like the Bible itself, her book sold in the millions of copies over the years. However, it was never a 'complete' book. She never claimed that it contains the final revelation of divine Science. She merely claimed that God had been graciously preparing her during many years for the reception of the final revelation of the absolute divine Principle of scientific mental healing. (Science and Health p.107) The science for dealing with that revelation of divine Principle represents not a finite religious dogma, but is a stepping stone for enabling humanity to uplift its perception of reality and its own nature to a higher level far above the level at which the human problems are defined. Divine Science is our stepping stone for applying "the final revelation of the absolute divine Principle of scientific mental healing."

In this context, the content of her book became more and more clarified over the years, as her own understanding of the subject broadened. Over 300 editions of that book were eventually published by her over a span of more then 35 years. This constant updating was necessitated as new scientific advances required corresponding clarification of the early statements of her discovery. In other words, she became herself an ongoing discoverer in the field of the science that she had discovered, of the absolute divine Principle of scientific mental healing. Nor will this Science ever become a closed door or a final limit, but remains an open horizon as we progress in our celebration of the divine nature that is reflected in our humanity. Here the Bible lessons come into play.

Like the Bible, Mary Baker Eddy's book has inspired countless individuals and brought about cases of healing of virtually every known disease. A hundred pages of "Fruitage" were appended to her book in later years. They contain a small sample of testimonials of individuals who were healed by the mere reading of the book. The body of the testimonies covers a broad spectrum of diseases and ailments that were healed by the individual person's own pursuit of the Science presented in her book. Also the individuals who testify have no apparent preconditioning in scholarly, or religious attainments. Instead, they come literally from all walks of life.

It appears only natural, therefore, that her book would be brought formally into the context of exploratory Bible lessons, since the foundation of this Science is rooted in the Bible, and that such lessons would become the "pastor" of the church that she founded to reintroduce to humanity the scientific elements of spiritual healing that was a common occurrence during the early or 'primitive' era of Christianity.

What appears natural, of course, has indeed happened. No personal pastor orates in her church. The Bible itself, together with her book, are the 'pastor' of it. A structure of formalized Bible Lessons was established by her to take the place of personal preaching. The subjects for these formalized Bible lessons were also made standard. They are simple, but are deeply related to the purpose of exploring the fundamental aspects of spiritual reality. Twenty-six topics were selected by her for this purpose, to be repeated twice a year, to cover all of the weeks in year. The topics themselves are also structurally interrelated with the vast array of pedagogical structures that all of her works are an inherent hart of.

For many people the lesson-sermons were profoundly significant and have resulted to a large extend in the volume of healing that the Christian Science church had been noted for during the decades of the late nineteenth century and early twenties century. But like everything that becomes institutionalized, the lessons have lost their power to inspire people. Without the vital thrust of continuing exploration and discovery, little remained to sustain their life-giving impetuous. So it was, that over the years the churches became increasingly empty. Indeed, some people could be seen to fall asleep during the services when the lessons were read from the pulpit. Some vital element was missing. Perhaps one should wonder if the Bible is really by now a kind of a dead book, including the science that is based on it.

Homer's works, in contrast have not faded over the two and a half thousand years since the time they were created. The language and story of Homer's Odyssey still grip people's imagination, and as they do, they still stir a sense of respect for all that is human. Homer's stories deal with the gods and goddesses of the ancient Greek mythologies, but Homer presents the human element of intelligence, loyalty, family, home, and honor to be superior to the power of the gods. When honestly pursued, these elements of our humanity overcome the most fearful odds and protect and uplift the human lot. With his epic poems, that were widely recited, Homer secured a great victory for his people. That 'victory' literally changed the unfolding of the world. The same can be said about the stories in the Bible, supported by Mary Baker Eddy's textbook is a scientific basis can be established for an ongoing exploration of the universal principles involved. There is evidently a great deal more contained in these pages then anything that Homer may have ever dreamed of. But why does this rich context not grip humanity today with the same power?

The reason may be that Homer dealt with simple subjects and dramatic metaphor. But spiritual existence isn't as simple as that. Homer never healed a cancer or created an economy that functions productively, although he laid the foundation for the advanced structures that would enable those higher attainments. In order to go beyond the rudiments, more then superficial means for exploration are required for the needed sustained progress to occur. Where there is no progress and no further unfolding, there is entropy and chaos. Entropy is reflected in a wind-up toy, as the wound up energy plays itself out until the toy stops. Life, however, unfolds from the very opposite platform. Entropy does not reflect the dynamics of life, because life is always unfolding, progressive. It can never be static, finite, a finished book. The mythological middle road between finiteness and infinity does not exist, no matter how much we may wish it to exist. Reality, unfortunately, is not bound to what one may wish it to be.

Life is the principle of existence. Since life cannot be static, entopic, or chaotic by its own divine Principle, it can only be unfolding, progressing to ever greater riches in beauty, wisdom, and strength. The Bible becomes static, and then entopic when it is merely read, by which its power to move consciousness becomes entopic as well like the depleting energy of a wind up toy.  Even Mary Baker Eddy's textbook becomes but a collection of words if it is pursued in any other context then to further the experience of infinite unfolding.

Christ Jesus' life has been a process of unfolding. He always demanded more and more of himself and of his disciples. He demanded demonstrations of what they understood. Then he demanded more of them and greater ones, as he extended the realm of their 'vision' which had enabled them to achieve more.

Most religions are entopic in nature, because their structure is rigidly finite. Their dogmas become a closed door, whereas the door to inquiry should be open to infinity. Mary Baker Eddy may have been the only scientist working in the field of Christianity who has prepared the ground for keeping the door of enquiry open. She has done this in a unique way that was not recognized in her time, nor during the decades that followed, and is rarely recognized even now. She documented in her textbook on Christian Science, and in other major works, a formalized structure for the constantly unfolding scientific and spiritual development that reflects the dynamics of life. 

This scientific development structure is extensively explored in the nine volume research series "Discovering Infinity." The formalized Bible lessons presented here are structured fundamentally in accord with her scientific development structure, so that the resulting platform for scientific and spiritual development plays a central role in the unfolding process of exploring the lessons' topics. The resulting process interrelated discovery opens the door to the kind of scientific and spiritual development which makes not only the Bible lessons, but also ones entire application of Christian Science, inherently none-entopic.