Pulpit and Press

Mary Baker EddyProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 126K words
Chapters: 13

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Pulpit and Press (6th Edition) by Mary Baker EddyAuthor: Eddy, Mary Baker, 1821-1910,Language: English, Class: BX: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Churches, Church movements, Release Date: Dec 1, 2003

Editor's review

Pulpit and Press is a religious collection by Mary Baker Eddy belonging to Christian Science literature. Centered on the relationship between the pulpit and the press, it gathers writings related to the spread of the Christian Science movement and the church's use of the press, reflecting Eddy's concern with how religious thought spreads through print media. As a Project Gutenberg public-domain electronic edition, it offers first-hand texts for readers studying nineteenth-century American religious movements, early Christian Science documents, and the relationship between religion and publishing. Its value lies not in literary quality but in its significance as material for religious and intellectual history. Readers should note that the text has a pronounced sectarian stance and exhortatory tone and should not be treated as neutral historical narrative. Reading it alongside background material on the history of Christian Science is recommended, so as to distinguish the document's promotional intent from historical information.

Who it's for

A good fit for

scholars studying Christian Science and American religious history
readers interested in the relationship between religious thought and print publishing
graduate students needing primary documents of nineteenth-century American religion
readers with an interest in English-language sectarian religious documents

Not a good fit for

general readers seeking literary reading or plot
those wanting a neutral overview of religious history rather than a sectarian text
readers uninterested in discussion of religious doctrine

Reading tips

Read a basic introduction to Christian Science before entering the text, to avoid being led astray by sectarian terminology and stance.
Compare the book with contemporary sources on American religious publishing, taking care to distinguish promotional statements from verifiable historical fact.
Read it piece by piece, briefly recording the core claims and argumentative methods after each section.
The English text is limited in length and suited to thematic excerpting; organize the author's views around 'pulpit and press.'

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Who is the author, and what denomination does it belong to?

The author is Mary Baker Eddy, founder of Christian Science. Pulpit and Press is a document of that denomination and has a pronounced sectarian stance; it should be read as an internal text of a religious movement rather than a neutral historical work.

Is this book a literary work?

No. It is a religious collection centered on preaching and publishing, and its value lies mainly in religious and intellectual history rather than in literary genres such as fiction or poetry; it is not suitable for readers seeking light reading.

What background knowledge is needed before reading?

It is advisable first to understand the atmosphere of nineteenth-century American religious revival, the founding of Christian Science, and its emphasis on publishing and dissemination. With this background, one can understand what the book's discussion of the pulpit and the press is pointing to.

Is this book suitable for academic citation?

It can be cited as primary material for studying early Christian Science documents, but its sectarian promotional nature should be noted; when citing, compare it with independent historical scholarship and avoid taking the text's self-descriptions as objective fact.

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About the author

Mary Baker Eddy Author · American · 1821–1910

Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910) was an American religious leader and the discoverer and founder of Christian Science. In 1875 she published Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures, which set out her religious and health-related ideas. She founded the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in 1879 and launched The Christian Science Monitor in 1908. Her other works include the Manual of the Mother Church, Rudimental Divine Science, Retrospection and Introspection, and Miscellaneous Writings, 1883–1896. Twelve of her works are held in this collection, mostly under inspirational growth. Her writing focuses on religious teaching and the practice of faith, is clearly organized, and stresses the connection between inner conviction and daily life; it has influenced American religious thought and publishing culture.