In the mid-19th century, the country was in the throes of a widespread religious revival. It was called the Second Great Awakening, and it fostered the founding of new denominations and inspired millions of converts. This movement laid the groundwork for Methodists and Baptists to exponentially in number, and for Joseph Smith to establish his church of Latter Day Saints.
Amidst this fervor, women comprised the bulk of converts, often against the will of their husbands. But women did not tend to lead the movements they so fervently followed. Which makes Mary Baker Eddy remarkable for her time.
Eddy founded the Church of Christ, Scientist in 1879. She taught a kind of healing through prayer, and people flocked to Eddy to study her practice and be treated by her. While Christian Science grew in popularity, critics of Eddy rose in numbers. On today's Word of Mouth, the story -- and controversy -- of Mary Baker Eddy.
- You Asked, We Answered: What Goes On At the Mary Baker Eddy birthplace?
- Magical Drinking: the Outside/In team brings you an excerpt from their show about raw water. Is unadulterated water a passing fad... or a dangerous throwback?
- A special civics edition of Only in New Hampshire: we're taking you inside the N.H. State House to answer your questions about our huge House of Representatives
