by Lyman P. Powell
Here is a book that is more than a biography of a significant religious leader and author. It is an assessment of a woman's lifework told by an Episcopalian minister.
Mary Baker Eddy: A Life Size Portrait was written by Dr. Lyman P. Powell, a well-known clerical and literary figure of the time. Dr. Powell approached The Christian Science Board of Directors with a proposal that he write a new biography of Mrs. Eddy — and tell the story as if it had never been told before.
With the knowledge and cooperation of the Board of Directors, Dr. Powell's biography was first published in 1930 by the Macmillan Company with period photos and an index.
Mary Baker Eddy: A Life Size Portrait is now returned to print by The Christian Science Publishing Society. Included is a preface by Richard A. Nenneman, Editor-in-Chief of The Christian Science Monitor, that introduces today's reader to Dr. Powell, his times, and how this fascinating book came to be written.
About the Author
Lyman P. Powell was born in 1866, in a small farming community in Delaware. In 1898 he was ordained a priest of the Episcopal Church. While rector of St. John's Church in Northamton, Massachusetts, he became acquainted with Christian Science as well as the healing efort within his own denomination, called the Emmanuel Movement. In addition to his career as a minister, Dr. Powell served as President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, as well as vice president of the American Association of Colleges. Dr. Powell was also a frequent author and lecturer on such topics as education, democracy, and problems associated with America's role in the emerging post-1918 world.