Accession: L02592B
Editorial Title: Mary Baker Eddy to Julia Field-King, March 13, 1895
Author: Mary Baker Eddy 
Recipient: Julia Field-King 
Annotator: Unknown 
Date: March 13, 1895
Manuscript Description: Typewritten for Mary Baker Eddy on unlined Pleasant View stationery, with handwritten signature, from Concord, New Hampshire.
Related Topic: 214B.35.005Digital document 214B.35.005 not available
Editorial Note: In 1895, Mary Baker Eddy's student, Julia Field-King undertook her own research project to prove that Eddy was a direct descendant of King David of Israel. The background of this endeavor was known as the "Anglo-Israel theory," which promoted the idea that the Anglo-Saxon "race" was in fact descended from the ten lost tribes of Israel. Field-King was particularly influenced by a 26 volume work titled Our Race: Its Origin and Its Destiny by Charles Adiel Lewis Totten. In it, Totten attempted to prove that the genealogy of the British royal line could be traced back to King David. Although Eddy for a time showed some interest in Field-King's efforts, she eventually asked her to stop the research. Not only was the research failing to yield the results Field-King hoped for, but Eddy indicated that these pursuits were contrary to the fundamental teachings of Christian Science regarding the wholly spiritual nature of man.
Archival Note: This letter contains a notation in unknown handwriting.
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L02592B
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⇉ Handshift:UnknownPlease return.
⇉ Handshift:Typewritten CONCORD, New HampshireAs Written:N. H. March 13, 1895.
Mrs. King
My precious Student: --

I think it is not wise to further pursue your chronological research. It is not really in the line of Truth that the thought is forming itself in this investigation but in the line of material origin and this has an end. Now I would turn away from the subject. My reason for asking you to undertake this historical proof was that the people would sooner be convinced perhaps by it of my legitimate mission but I fear it costs you too much to direct your thought so materially and the end will not justify the means.

With love
⇉ Handshift:Mary Baker EddyMary Baker Eddy
L02592B
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Reproduced from the archive of The Mary Baker Eddy Library
X

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⇉ Handshift:UnknownPlease return.
⇉ Handshift:Typewritten CONCORD, N. H.Expanded:New Hampshire March 13, 1895.
Mrs. King
My precious Student: --

I think it is not wise to further pursue your chronological research. It is not really in the line of Truth that the thought is forming itself in this investigation but in the line of material origin and this has an end. Now I would turn away from the subject. My reason for asking you to undertake this historical proof was that the people would sooner be convinced perhaps by it of my legitimate mission but I fear it costs you too much to direct your thought so materially and the end will not justify the means.

With love
⇉ Handshift:Mary Baker EddyMary Baker Eddy
 
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