The religion termed Divine Science is a Christian New Thought religious movement founded in the late 1880s. It has no direct connection to our Divine Science University but there are many similarities between what we each believe.
Divine Science, the religion, emphasizes the omnipresence of God as the foundational truth, teaching that God (understood as limitless Being, pure Spirit, perfect Life, Love, and Substance) is equally present everywhere and constitutes the All of everything.
The religious movement founded a Divine Science College in Denver in 1898 to train teachers, practitioners, and ministers. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the death of one of the founders, the movement’s center shifted to Denver (and later to Pueblo, Colorado) under the leadership of the other founder until her death in 1945.
The religious movement of Divine Science is practical and experiential, aiming for a direct knowing of God and participation in bringing forth greater good.
This article, written by Ida B. Elliott in the early 1900s, is shared for educational purposes.
The Science of Being
By Ida B. Elliott
Minor edits by C. G. Dalrymple
Divine Science is based on a belief in the Omnipresence, Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omniaction of God — One Presence, Knowledge, Power, and Action. In other words: God is all–both invisible and visible. One Mind, Intelligence and Substance. One Spirit, Life and Law. This Mind is the source of all wisdom, love, knowledge, understanding and power.
Man is the expression of God and is forever one with his Source. But, believing in two powers, he thought himself separated from the true Source and came into the bondage of his false beliefs. Hence our basic affirmation is: "I accept the Omnipresence without any reserve."
This premise embodies the intelligence of an upward push, generally named evolution. What is evident in the realm of form bears witness to the process of soul unfoldment or spiritual evolution. Since it is true that man as an expression of God is inherently whole, it is logical to accept that as such he must partake of the nature of the Substance out of which he is "pressed." Yet believing for generations in separation he comes into full consciousness of identity with his Source only through the process of soul unfoldment or evolution.
Hence, man's constant application of the basic Principle, or fundamental truth of the Allness of God accepting the Omnipresence without any reservation, acknowledging but one Power working always according to Perfect Law frees him from the belief in separation and duality. He thus realizes identity with his Source, or the Christ consciousness that "I and my Father are one."
The strong appeal of the religion of Divine Science to most students is that it is not an exclusive but an inclusive presentation of this Truth, including in the basic statement the highest deductions of science, psychology, philosophy and religion.
MEANS OF ATTAINMENT
In acquiring knowledge of Divine Science the student may take one of three ways.
I. The Psychology of Divine Science
He may name the Allness as "One Mind," and from this premise approach the application of Infinite Intelligence in the visible universe. The student learns the different phases of Mind action, both objective and subjective; the power of thought and the result of negative (destructive) and (positive) constructive thinking; the effect of his thought on his emotions; and the effect of resistance, resentment or any negative attitude toward people, circumstances, conditions or events of man's everyday experiences.
He may learn ... that wherever man searches, be it with microscope or telescope, he finds evidence of this Intelligence. Thus his conclusion is the same as the leading natural scientist of today: "In the final analysis all is Mind." And the intelligent, constructive use of that Mind means mastership in self-control and dominion in all his affairs.
Moreover, he learns that all the resources of that Mind are available to man. There is a Mind common to all men. Every man is an inlet and may be an outlet to the same. In this acknowledgment, we learn there is an unfailing Source of supply for man's every need.
As man learns to be an inlet and an outlet to the "Mind common to all men" all the devices that go to make the sum total of ease and comfort are brought forth in form for his use. The more completely man identifies himself with this Mind the more he finds the true Source of opulence to be rich ideas through which he may draw from this exhaustless store and an ever increasing awareness of oneness with a great Force, working according to infallible law, for his highest good.
II. The Philosophy of Divine Science
Another way of approach to the study of Divine Science is the science of philosophy.
Man has long accepted a universe, but what is the truth of this universe? What principles and laws govern it? Can a universe have diverse principles, forces or laws governing it? What is the reality back of all visible manifestation? Where did man come from? Why is he here? What is his destiny?
With the premise, "I accept the Omnipresence without any reserve" the student proceeds to investigate the principles, laws and forces of the universe to prove for himself that the Principle of the universe, the fundamental Truth is One Infinite Good. Everywhere, by the aid of the telescope, microscope or the seeing of the eye he finds a Something expressing Itself Intelligently according to the law of each form. Every form, whether mineral, insect, bird or animal having a definite purpose in the general scheme of things. This "Something" we call the Presence, and in Its contemplation man literally "lives, moves and has his being in God." In this great Unity is found the love that holds all within Itself unto Itself.
The highest form in this marvelous manifestation is Man in the "image and likeness" of the Limitless. He is here to learn the dominion over himself and all lower forms through this unity and to manifest the purpose and power of the invisible God.
III. The Religion of Divine Science
Divine Science formulates no creed. But we do maintain that in our basic acknowledgement, "I accept the Omnipresence without any reserve," is the essence of the truest religion. The real meaning of the word religion (re-ligio) is to bind back. And that is just what the student does in his application of the Omnipresence.
In the allegory of the Garden of Eden is a portrayal of the Omnipresence; One Presence, Mind or Intelligence creating or coming forth in the visible out of Its own substance. And it was said of each manifestation, was and very good." Man in "the image and likeness of God" with every commissioned to have "dominion good provided for him over all things." There was just one thing he was not to do — to "eat of the tree of good and evil, or conceive for himself a world of duality.
Throughout the remainder of the Bible we find man, through the power of his own choice, working his way out of sense delusion and illusion into conscious oneness with his Source made manifest by the man Jesus. Man, always the "image and likeness," the perfect Idea in Divine Mind, but coming into the knowledge and understanding of his sonship through his acceptance of and fidelity to the One Presence and Power. The history of the soul in its journey from sense delusion to the realization of its sonship is set forth in the Bible narrative.
In the various stories, experiences and parables related in the narrative we find the laws and principles governing man's emancipation clothed with personality. In the journey, many Christ types develop until the perfect type emerges in Jesus the Christ. In this marvelous manifestation man finds "the Way, the Truth, the Life." Jesus accepted his Sonship, identified with the Father ("I and the Father are one"), proved it by his words and works and identified man with the same Source. He declared: "I am the vine, ye are the branches;" "I am the Light:" "Ye are the Light of the world;" "The works that I do shall ye do also."
The law governing this life was simply stated by the Master in these words: "The Lord our God, the Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength. The second is this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (R.V.) Hence we find the law governing the realm of Reality or the Kingdom of Heaven is love or conscious oneness with the Father and with humanity.
We find in Jesus' teaching the truest psychology as he emphasized the power of thought, the effect thought has on the emotions, the right use of the imaging faculty and the sure working of the law.
For the student of philosophic trend a perfect code of ethics is provided in the Sermon on the Mount and I Cor. Chap. 13.
In the course of training carried on by this Divine Science College [not affiliated with Divine Science University] there is the constant blending of the three ways of approach. The different terms used in the different methods meaning the same thing are harmonized into a practical, workable science for everyday needs.
The logical conclusion of the whole matter is: There is one Principle or Fundamental Truth, invisible and visible. Call it Infinite, Spirit, Mind, Energy, God or whatever else man conceives it to be. It is unhindered by name for It is that which Is: undefeatable, undefilable, imperishable, Infinite and Eternal, always working according to the law of Its own nature.
Thus man finds in the Science of Being a Principle of Life as unfailing as the principle of mathematics. Moreover, in the eternal pronouncement, "Let him have dominion" he knows that he is fully equipped to exercise that dominion. And he will do so as he learns to work according to and with the perfect Law.
This is the "Science of Being" according to Ida B. Elliott, president of Divine Science College around 1913.
