Frank Lawrence Riley, 1870- (1870-1940) was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, and died in Los Angeles, California. He began his career as a physician and surgeon. He married Florence E. Riley (b. Rogers) in Utica, New York, in 1892, and they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where he worked for the Young Men's Christian Association as a medical examiner and physical director. In 1897 the Rileys were introduced to Christian Science, and Florence was healed of poor eyesight by reading Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and Miscellaneous Writings, 1883-1896. Within a few months of learning of Christian Science, Frank discontinued practicing medicine, and both he and Florence began practicing Christian Science.
In September 1897 they consulted with Mary Baker Eddy about moving to England, where Florence had family, to practice Christian Science there. Eddy replied favorably and invited them to visit her in person while en route to England, which they did in November 1897. During their visit with Eddy, she gave them a lesson on handling mental malpractice. They practiced Christian Science in London for the following 14 years. Upon returning to the United States, they lived in several places in California, including Long Beach, Carmel, and Los Angeles. Both Rileys joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1898, and were listed as practitioners in The Christian Science Journal, Florence from 1901 until 1916, and Frank from 1902 until 1913. Thereafter, Frank became known as an authority on comparative religions and began lecturing and writing about more general and universalist metaphysical topics. He wrote and published several books, the best known of which was The Bible of Bibles: A Source Book of Religions Demonstrating the Unity of the Sacred Books of the World, published in 1928. Frank and Florence divorced sometime after 1920.
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Frank Lawrence Riley, 1870- (1870-1940) was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, and died in Los Angeles, California. He began his career as a physician and surgeon. He married Florence E. Riley (b. Rogers) in Utica, New York, in 1892, and they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where he worked for the Young Men's Christian Association as a medical examiner and physical director. In 1897 the Rileys were introduced to Christian Science, and Florence was healed of poor eyesight by reading Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and Miscellaneous Writings, 1883-1896. Within a few months of learning of Christian Science, Frank discontinued practicing medicine, and both he and Florence began practicing Christian Science.
In September 1897 they consulted with Mary Baker Eddy about moving to England, where Florence had family, to practice Christian Science there. Eddy replied favorably and invited them to visit her in person while en route to England, which they did in November 1897. During their visit with Eddy, she gave them a lesson on handling mental malpractice. They practiced Christian Science in London for the following 14 years. Upon returning to the United States, they lived in several places in California, including Long Beach, Carmel, and Los Angeles. Both Rileys joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1898, and were listed as practitioners in The Christian Science Journal, Florence from 1901 until 1916, and Frank from 1902 until 1913. Thereafter, Frank became known as an authority on comparative religions and began lecturing and writing about more general and universalist metaphysical topics. He wrote and published several books, the best known of which was The Bible of Bibles: A Source Book of Religions Demonstrating the Unity of the Sacred Books of the World, published in 1928. Frank and Florence divorced sometime after 1920.
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