Christian Science Book

Twain was not known for his Christian orthodoxy (!), so it is a shame to orthodox Christians that he wrote this book rather than an orthodox Christian of that period writing it.

Twain wrote this book in the early years of Mary Baker Eddy's religious fantasies. Perhaps he thought he was lampooning modern Christian fantasies, and he got away with it (again, shame on orthodox Christians!).

At any rate, the book excels in two ways:

1. It thoroughly deconstructs Christian Science in a time when deconstruction wasn't even on anyone's radar.

2. Twain undoes Christian Science with a tool that is virtually impossible to defend against: humor. When Twain can get us to laught at Christian Science, at Mary Baker Eddy, and at those who bought her special gnostic blend of religious snake oil, AND when that laughter has no guilty strain at all, because he shows us clearly how ridiculous it is -- well, there's no better example of using humor polemically than this book.

Polemicists should study it carefully.