Christian Science Reading Room

Specialties

Our unique specialty is informing people how to pray effectively. Serving downtown since 1900, this library/​bookstore provides technology, books, magazines, and recordings which enable our visitors to be more productive, healthy, and wise. We offer a spiritual research center and a great source of foreign language religious literature including many Bibles. The award-​winning newspaper, The Christian Science Monitor, is now a weekly and may be purchased here or at the newsrack at Broadway and Market. It’s also available online at www​.csmon​i​tor​.com. Please email us at csrrsl@​yahoo.​com to receive helpful links.

History

Established in 1904.

In 1898, there appeared an article published in the Post-​Dispatch titled «Methods of St. Louis Christian Scientists». It referred to a room in the Fullerton Building where needy persons could go and find healing. The article closes stating that «There are now six hundred thousand of these Scientists in this country…» The Post-​Dispatch also published an article about the downtown Reading Room on Saturday, May 26, 2001. Then we were in the Paul Brown Building. The Librarian is quoted to say, «My purpose is to respond to the spiritual needs of customers…» The article indicates that the first official Reading Room was on the third floor of the Columbia Building. Nine years ago the facility moved to its current location on Sixth St. For over a hundred years, this facility has been providing open-​minded persons with a more spiritual perspective.

Meet the Manager

John B.

Manager

I want everyone who steps inside to feel loved. This means that I need to prepare my thought before coming here. A good way to do this is to read the weekly Bible Lesson published in The Christian Science Quarterly. I also want to help everyone who comes here. Most visitors want to get more from the Bible. One way is to sense that God communicates to each of us through the Bible. But we also have many helpful Bible reference tools. One of my favorite tools is Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance with its Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries. In Malachi we read, «…unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.» Strongs tells us that the Hebrew word translated «wings» has to do with a cutting edge. Thus we can know that «wings» in this instance pertains to the dawn. I love explaining to people that Christian Science has to do with changing our thinking to be more in line with God’s intent for us.