The Church of St. Bunco

In Short

This book is a polemical, historical, and philosophical examination of Christian Science at the turn of the 20th century. The author seeks to expose the movement as a "leech" on genuine mental healing, arguing that its founder, Mary Baker Eddy, misappropriated the work of an earlier magnetic healer, Phineas Quimby, and rebranded it as divine revelation to build a lucrative, cult-like organization. By dissecting the movement’s origins and its radical denial of physical reality, the book functions as both a historical record and a cautionary warning against what the author views as intellectual and spiritual fraud.

The Story

The narrative begins by establishing the true genealogy of the "New Thought" movement. The author presents compelling evidence, including personal accounts and manuscripts, that P. P. Quimby, a Maine healer active in the mid-19th century, was the genuine pioneer of mental healing. Through the testimony of grateful patients and the work of Quimby’s son, the text documents a man who cured ailments by talking with patients and challenging their mental states.

The author then transitions to the rise of Mary Baker Eddy, depicting her as a former patient of Quimby who took his rudimentary, practical notes and transformed them into a complex, copyrighted religion. The book traces her path through various shifts in doctrine and organization, highlighting her attempts to claim originality while suppressing the existence of the Quimby manuscripts that predated her own. The author portrays Eddy as a shrewd businessperson who utilized a "chain-gang" of obedient followers to grow the church, while charging exorbitant fees for "college" courses in mental healing.

As the narrative progresses, the focus shifts to the personal cost of this religious structure. The author uses the case of Josephine Woodbury, an excommunicated "apostle" of the church, to illustrate how the movement operated as a business. Woodbury’s own efforts to draw wealthy followers into her orbit, and the subsequent legal scandals involving the alienation of families, are used to demonstrate the harmful, cult-like dynamics of the organization. The story of Mary Nash, a young woman who was sequestered from her family by "loyal students" of the church until she was physically and mentally compromised, underscores the author’s argument that the movement separates followers from reality and their loved ones.

The book culminates in a dense, philosophical rebuttal to Eddy’s claims of divine metaphysics. By contrasting the "half-baked" ideas of Christian Science with the rigorous work of Immanuel Kant, the author argues that while the mind does influence the body, Eddy’s total denial of matter is a dangerous absurdity. The text concludes by asserting that the movement’s success relies on the gullibility of the "soft" and the financial ambition of its leaders, leaving the reader with a stark indictment of the institution as a sophisticated, deceptive artifice.

How It Unfolds

The historical foundation The author introduces P. P. Quimby as the legitimate, sincere fountainhead of mental healing. He provides testimonials from former patients to verify that Quimby’s cures were genuine and distinct from the later "Christian Science" dogma.

The appropriation of ideas The focus turns to Mary Baker Eddy’s rise and her efforts to distance herself from Quimby’s earlier influence. The author documents her history and her attempts to control the narrative by challenging the authenticity of the very manuscripts she once studied.

The business of belief The narrative examines the organizational structure of the church, specifically focusing on the high cost of instruction and the hierarchical control exerted over the membership. This section highlights the transition from a healing mission to a lucrative, corporate entity.

The human cost The author presents detailed case studies of followers like Mary Nash, whose families were torn apart by their indoctrination. These stories serve as evidence of the movement’s tendency to alienate members from the physical and social world.

The metaphysical debunking The final movement employs the philosophy of Immanuel Kant to explain the nature of reality and consciousness. The author systematically breaks down Eddy’s "self-evident propositions" to demonstrate their logical bankruptcy.

The People

Phineas Quimby stands at the center of the author’s sympathy. Described as a man of great natural genius and sincerity, he is the "spring and fountain" of mental healing. He is depicted as a plain, hardworking healer who genuinely sought to improve the lives of the sick, and his life serves as the benchmark for honesty against which the other characters are measured.

Mary Baker Eddy is portrayed as the antithesis of Quimby. She is the "revelator" of a copyrighted religion, characterized by the author as opportunistic and intellectually dishonest. She is shown as a woman driven by a desire for power and wealth, who successfully masks her lack of formal education with "ponderous" and confusing prose to maintain her authority over a devoted, subservient flock.

Josephine Woodbury serves as a bridge between the founder and the followers. An "apostle" of the church who eventually falls from grace, she is depicted as a woman who learned the "business" of religion well. Her ambition to create her own power base and her involvement in libel suits illustrate the toxic, transactional nature of the movement.

Mary Nash represents the vulnerable follower, a person of means who becomes lost in the "dim mazes" of the church. She is the victim of a system that prioritizes its own survival over the well-being of the individual, illustrating the heartbreak that occurs when families are sidelined by the influence of metaphysical keepers.

In Its Own Voice

"The purpose of this book is not to deny the power of mind over matter, or of the human mind over the human body, but to show that the foolish and pestilent thing termed 'Christian Science' is a leech fastened upon these great truths."

The author clarifies that he is not attacking the concept of mental healing itself, but rather the specific organization he believes is exploiting it.

"There is no use of saying this to 'Christian Scientists' themselves--an obedient chain-gang in hypnotic servitude."

This captures the author’s cynical view of the church’s internal culture and the perceived inability of adherents to engage in critical, independent thought.

"The medicine of Science is divine Mind."

The author quotes the movement’s own literature to illustrate the core, and in his view, irrational, premise that rejects material medicine in favor of a spiritualized, intangible remedy.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this book is an investigation into the nature of authority and the dangers of uncritical belief. The author is deeply concerned with the difference between a sincere, practical truth and a doctrine designed for control. By contrasting the messy, empirical reality of human health with the rigid, all-or-nothing idealism of a copyrighted theology, he explores how language can be used to obfuscate reality. The underlying question is whether an idea—no matter how spiritual—should be shielded from scrutiny, especially when it claims to hold the keys to life and death. Ultimately, the book is a defense of reason against what the author views as a dangerous, systemic denial of the physical world.

Why Read It Today

This book is essential for those interested in the history of American religious movements or the psychology of belief. It feels like an intense, Victorian-era legal brief, written with a combination of scholarly rigor and biting, personal indignation. Readers should be prepared for a challenging experience; the author’s prose is Victorian in its complexity, and he frequently pauses the narrative to engage in dense, philosophical discussions regarding Kant and German idealism.

Modern readers might find the author’s tone harsh—he does not hesitate to use loaded, provocative language when describing the church’s leadership—and his focus on specific, long-forgotten libel cases in Boston requires some patience to follow. However, for those who value historical context and a look into the early conflicts surrounding the legitimacy of alternative medical practices, the book provides a unique, unfiltered perspective from a contemporary witness. It remains a fascinating artifact of how fiercely the battles over "truth" and "healing" were fought at the turn of the century. You will walk away with a much clearer understanding of why the tension between established science and spiritualized medical claims remains such a persistent feature of the American landscape.