This list concerns the role members of the denomination called Church of Christ, Scientist had in world history. For a list about Christians who are also scientists go to List of Christian thinkers in science The Church of Christ, Scientist, often known as The Christian Science Church or simply Christian Science, is a Christian denomination with about 2,000 branches (local churches) in over 70 countries. ... This list concerns the issue of The relationship between religion and science, but is specific to Christian history. ...

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1068 KB) The Christian Science Mother Church, world headquarters of the Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts. ...

Nature of List

Like Scientology today the role the, very different, Church of Christ, Scientist played in certain fields at one time caused a good deal of attention. Primarily their representation in The Golden Age of Hollywood and in politics was the issue of debate. For a variety of reasons this attention was often negative and concerned real or alleged overrepresentation. The comparison with "Celebrity Scientologists" although misleading was intentionally invoked, perhaps, most recently in a 1999 article by Salon. For a less credible example a former member turned activist named Bonnie Burke wrote a very hostile letter about that role which she titled "Watergate and Christian Science" to the New York Press.(You have to scroll down some) A Scientology Center on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. ... The Church of Christ, Scientist, often known as The Christian Science Church or simply Christian Science, is a Christian denomination with about 2,000 branches (local churches) in over 70 countries. ... The cinema of the United States, sometimes simply referred to as Hollywood, can perhaps be summed up by the title American film critic Pauline Kael gave a 1968 collection of her reviews: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

This list is primarily about documenting a historical phenomenon originating in American history, for good or ill. Although it can more simply be a source for those who wondered who was and wasn't Christian Scientist in history. For it to be useful as such you must cite a credible source to justify any addition and preferrably say a sentence or two of why they belong.

Politics and Entertainment

Political figures

• Nancy Witcher Astor In Sykes's Nancy the life of Lady Astor (Academy Chicago, 1984), and her own letters Nancy Astor’s Canadian Correspondence, 1912-1962 it mentions how much she promoted the religion. The effect it had on her election campaigns and her political views is mentioned in Karen J Musolf's From Plymouth to Parliament (St. Martin's Press, 1999)
• Owen Brewster-[1][2]
• H.R. Haldeman-Washington Post(Watergate figure described as, in those days, A Christian Scientist who neither smokes nor drinks)
• Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian-Time Magazine obituary (It discusses the role of his faith to his death during 1940, which was when he was the British Ambassador to the United States of America in a time of war for the UK when they wanted US aid.)
• Egil Krogh-The Atlantic Online(Watergate figure)
• Scott McCallum-Milwaukee Sentinel talking about how Wisconsin's Christian Scientist's "finally got their prayers answered" by his election.
• Charles H. Percy-[3]
• Christopher Shays-CNN and his alma mater
• Lamar Smith-Washington Post He then worked as a business writer for the Christian Science Monitor until 1972.
• William Hedgcock Webster-In the Salon article and NNDB.

Note: There is actual evidence Christian Scientists are overrepresented in the United States legislature. Adherents.com lists them as overrepresented by a factor of ten.[4]. However assuming that is credible, which it may not be due to the fact they do not put out membership statistics and certain credibility issues of the source, this should be put in perspective. They still represent less then 1% of the legislature even according to that source. In generalized US politics the Political Graveyard has less articles on Christian Scientist politicians then it does for almost any faith.[5] The only exceptions are Pentecostals, Swedenborgians, Seventh-Day Adventists, Muslims, Buddhists, Spiritualists and members of the Church of the Nazarene. Although it should be mentioned they are not exhaustive and did not list the one Sikh Congressman. Added to that a member of this denomination has never been in the US Supreme Court, US Vice Presidency, or been Head of Government in any nation. Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor (May 19, 1879 - May 2, 1964) was a socialite politician and a member of the prominent Astor family. ... Headquartered in the legendary Flatiron Building in New York City, St. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Senator Owen Brewster defeated after battles with Howard Hughes Ralph Owen Brewster (February 22, 1888–December 25, 1961) was an American politician from Maine. ... Harry Robbins (Bob) Haldeman (October 27, 1926 - November 12, 1993) was a U.S. political aide and businessman, best known for his service in the Nixon White House, and for his role in the Watergate scandal, for which he was convicted and imprisoned. ... Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian (1882–1940) was a British politician and diplomat. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Egil Krogh (far right) during Elvis Presleys visit with Nixon on December 21, 1970. ... Scott McCallum (born May 2, 1950) is a member of the Republican Party who served as the 43rd Governor of U.S. state of Wisconsin from 2001 to 2003. ... Charles Percy Charles H. Percy (born September 27, 1919) was chairman of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964 and Republican United States Senator for Illinois from 1967 to 1985. ... Christopher H. Shays (born October 18, American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1987, representing the 4th District of Connecticut. ... Lamar Seeligson Smith (born November 19, 1947) is a politician from the state of Texas. ... The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily, Monday through Friday. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... William Hedgcock Webster (born March 6, 1924) was the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1978 to 1987 and director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1987 to 1991. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... It has been suggested that Holiness-Pentecostal be merged into this article or section. ... Symbol of Swedenborgianism Swedenborgianism is the ecclesiastical organization of beliefs developed from the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, and as such, considered a religious movement by many. ... The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA), colloquially referred to as the Adventists, is an evangelical Protestant Christian denomination that grew out of the prophetic Millerite movement in the United States during the middle part of the 19th century. ... Islām is described as a dÄ«n, meaning way of life and/or guidance. Six articles of belief There are six basic beliefs shared by all Muslims: 1. ... The term Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means one who has awakened. It is derived from the verbal root budh, meaning to awaken or to be enlightened, and to comprehend. It is written in devanagari script as Hindi: and pronounced as... Spiritualism is a religion in which contact with the spirits of the dead through a medium is central. ... The Church of the Nazarene is a Protestant denomination within the broad tradition of Methodism. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... The demographics of the Supreme Court of the United States have been raised as an issue in various contexts over the last century. ... Richard B. Cheney, 46th and current Vice President of the United States The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government, the person who, in the words of Adlai Stevenson, is a heartbeat from the presidency. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, tone, style, and voice). ...

Entertainment figures

• Carol Channing-[6], but in the interview she does admit that she went to a Dr. Bill Cayhand in cases of more severe medical problems.
• Joan Crawford, convert from Catholicism.[7][8][9]
• Doris Day[10][11]-Although there is some evidence that she currently sees it solely as a philosophy, not a religion.
• Colleen Dewhurst-Discussed in pages 368-374 of her unfinished autobiography.[12]
• Georgia Engel[13]
• Horton Foote[14][15]
• Joyce Grenfell - Niece of Nancy Astor, also wrote music.[16]
• Corinne Griffith[17][18]
• Val Kilmer[19][20][21] He does Bible readings for a Church of Christ, Scientist congregation in New Mexico.
• Kay Kyser[22] - A Christian Science practitioner and active promoter.(The link has more detail, in the 1950-1985 section)
• Michael Nesmith-The Monkees[23]
• Ginger Rogers - "Lived for much of her life with her mother, Lela Owens McMath Rogers (1891–1977), a Christian Scientist (like Ginger)" Wiki article, there's also this
• Jean Stapleton[24]
• King Vidor[25]
• Anna May Wong [26],[27],(May have also had Taoist influences, but that is disputed.)
• Alfre Woodard[28]
• Alan Young-He founded a broadcast division for the Christian Science church.[29]

Note: In the case of entertainment the uncertainty of the demographics is furthered by a lack of studies on the topic. Although Adherents.com recently did put out a table that states 20% of the entertainers the AFI picked in its "100 Years...100 Stars: Greatest Screen Legends" special were Christian Scientists.[30] The name of the list is in a sense misleading as there are only fifty entertainers on it, the other fifty places go to films each one did. In any event if Adherents.com's figures are true then the group is radically overrepresented, enough so that the Church of Christ, Scientist would be the third largest faith on the list. That said skepticism is warranted due to problems with the source hinted at earlier. In this case the figure appears to be counting anyone ever associated with this faith in any fashion whatsoever. Taking that caution into account the AFI list does include both Joan Crawford and Ginger Rogers[31]. As both of them were self-described members until death, as far as is known, this means the faith represented in least 4% of the names on the AFI list and 8% of the actresses in it. Carol Channing photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1956 Carol Channing (born January 31, 1921 in Seattle, Washington) is a United States actress whose career was built largely on two roles, Lorelei Lee in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello Dolly!. She is easily recognized by her distinctive... Joan Crawford, photographed by Yousuf Karsh, 1948 Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905 – May 10, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American actress. ... Doris Day Doris Day (born April 3, 1924) is an American singer, actress, and animal welfare advocate. ... Colleen Dewhurst (born June 3, 1924; died August 22, 1991) was a Canadian-born actress best known for playing Marilla Cuthbert in the various Anne of Green Gables productions from Sullivan Entertainment. ... Georgia Engel (born July 28, 1948) is an American film and television actress. ... Horton Foote (born 1916), is an American author and playwright, most noted for his 1983 Oscar-winning screenplay Tender Mercies. ... Joyce Grenfell, born February 10, 1910 - died November 30, 1979, was a British film and television actress, comedienne, and singer-songwriter. ... Corinne Griffith (November 24, 1894 - July 13, 1979) was an American actress, sometimes known as the Orchid Lady. ... Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959, Los Angeles, California, USA) is an American actor. ... The Church of Christ, Scientist, often known as The Christian Science Church or simply Christian Science, is a Christian denomination with about 2,000 branches (local churches) in over 70 countries. ... State nickname: Land of Enchantment Official languages English Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Governor Bill Richardson (D) Senators Pete Domenici (R) Jeff Bingaman (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 5th 315,194 km² 0. ... Kay Kyser (June 18, 1905, Rocky Mount, North Carolina - July 24, 1985) was a famous bandleader and one of the first to become a radio celebrity. ... A Christian Science practitioner is an individual who devotes their full time to the practice of healing through prayer according to the teachings of Christian Science. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... Michael Nesmith in the Monkees, circa 1967. ... The Monkees in 1967 (left to right): Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork The Monkees were a four-man musical band created to be the stars of an American television series of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1966 to 1968. ... Ginger Rogers (1911–1995) Ginger Rogers, (July 16, 1911 - April 25, 1995), was a legendary American actress and dancer. ... Jean Stapleton Jean Stapleton (born Jeanne Murray on January 19, 1923 in New York City) is an American actress. ... King Wallis Vidor (February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director. ... Anna May Wong in Princess Turandot, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1937 Anna May Wong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961) was the first truly notable Chinese American Hollywood actress. ... For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... Alfre Woodard (Born: November 8, 1952 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an American film and television actress and film producer. ... Alan Young (born 19 November 1919) was an actor best known for his television role opposite a talking horse, Mister Ed. ... The Church of Christ, Scientist, often known as The Christian Science Church or simply Christian Science, is a Christian denomination with about 2,000 branches (local churches) in over 70 countries. ... Joan Crawford, photographed by Yousuf Karsh, 1948 Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905 – May 10, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American actress. ... Ginger Rogers (1911–1995) Ginger Rogers, (July 16, 1911 - April 25, 1995), was a legendary American actress and dancer. ...

Outside of that disputable source it seems possible that the Screen Actors Guild, or some entertainment industry study group, had some kind of "census" for entertainment in least at one time. A "special census" of CS members, despite their religious views, was made in 1936[32] and this would be in the period when in least a few of these celebrities were important. According to that census the religion made up about 269,000 people while the US population in that year was around 128 million.[33]. This means they numbered about .21% of the US population in that year. This is arguably the only year where a figure can be estimated with some level of accuracy. Most current estimates speculated that they represent a smaller percentage, possibly less then .1%, of the US at present. Figures for other nations are more difficult to find, but in most nations the percentage is presumed to be lower then in the US. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is the labor union representing over 120,000 film actors in the United States. ...

Other fields

Christian Scientists of note can be found in many other fields, including those where little or no discussion of real or alleged overrepresentation exists.

Artists

• James Butt - "A dedicated Christian Scientist, his sacred solos for high voice and organ are now performed in many churches."[34]
• Joseph Cornell[35] The link mentions the strong importance of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures to him and speculates on how it influenced his art.
• Mina Loy University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Modern Poetry bios

James Butt (1929-2003). ... Joseph Cornell, (Born in Nyack, New York December 24, 1903 – died December 29, 1972) was an American sculptor, one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of assemblage. ... Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, written by Mary Baker Eddy, is the foundation of the Christian Science movement. ... Mina Loy and her husband Stephen Haweis at Académie Colarossi Mina Loy (December 27, 1882 - September 25, 1966) was an artist, poet, Futurist, actor, Christian Scientist, designer of lamps and bohemian extraordinaire. ...

Athletes

• Adin Brown-US Soccer player[36]
• Shannon Miller, American gymnast[37])

Adin Brown (born May 27, 1978 in Pleasant Hills, California) is an American soccer goalkeeper, who currently plays for the Aalesunds of the Norwegian Premier League. ... Shannon Lee Miller (b. ...

Exploration and Invention

• Bette Nesmith Graham-[38]
• Alan Shepard-First American in space.ObitTime Magazine

Bette Nesmith Graham (23 March 1924 - 12 May 1980) was a typist, commercial artist, and inventor who invented Liquid Paper. ... Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. ...

False rumors about people's Christian Science faith

• Albert Einstein-There are many rumors on the Internet he attended their meetings religiously for a time, mostly from CS sites, but there is no valid information to support this idea. He may have a passing interest, but at best it was a minor one. Even the evidence of a passing interest is somewhat scant.
• Jim Henson-The rumor here isn't that he was a Christian Scientist per se. He actually was strongly of the faith until his 20s. The rumor being dealt with here though is the idea he stayed in it and that that is why he died young. There is little or no evidence to support this, although his upbringing may have encouraged disinterest in seeing doctors, and in fact most sources indicate he withdrew from the religion long before his death.[39]

Albert Einstein photographed by Oren J. Turner in 1947. ... Jim Henson James Maury Henson, commonly known as Jim Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990), was one of the most important puppeteers in modern American television history. ...

See also

• Church of Christ, Scientist
• Manual of The Mother Church
• Demographics of the United States Congress

The Church of Christ, Scientist, often known as The Christian Science Church or simply Christian Science, is a Christian denomination with about 2,000 branches (local churches) in over 70 countries. ... The Manual of The Mother Church by Mary Baker Eddy is the governing document, or in effect constitution, of the Christian Science Church. ... The Congress of the United States has demographics that are different than America as a whole in a number of ways. ...

External links

• Adherents.com "Famous Christian Scientists"-Highly suspect in some cases, but valid in others. Treat with caution and read carefully.
• Political Graveyard section of "Christian Scientists"
• Trivia Library on the topic
• The Handbook of Texas (For uncertain reasons many names here can be found on that site)