Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices belonging to the metaphysical family of
new religious movements. It was developed in 19th-century
New England by
Mary Baker Eddy, who argued in her book
Science and Health (1875) that sickness is an illusion that can be corrected by prayer alone. The book became Christian Science's central text, along with the
King James Bible, and by 2001 had sold over nine million copies.