Our History and More

A Divine Beginning

Divine Science was founded in 1887 by Nona Lovell Brooks, Aletha Brooks, and Fannie Brooks James. During the early years, while practicing the principle of the Omnipresence of God, they became acquainted with Malinda Cramer, who lived in San Francisco. They discovered that she was working along the same lines of Truth. This brought together two closely related streams of thought and in 1898, the Divine Science College in Denver was incorporated to train teachers and practitioners, organize churches, and ordain ministers.

In 1932, Dr. Grace L. Faus came to Washington, D.C. and began the first study class in the teachings and principle of Divine Science. In 1956, the present site became the location for Divine Science teaching in the Washington area. Our church is currently served by a group of Ministers and Practitioners, following many years of service by Dr. Al G. Salazar, our Minister Emeritus.

There are several other Divine Science churches and study groups in other parts of the country and in other countries. These may be located on the Divine Science Federation website: www.divinesciencefederation.org.

Divine Science and the Bible

Divine Science accepts the Bible as the book of Life, the story of man’s search for God. Through study of the Bible, we are able to trace the development of man’s concept of God as it is revealed through the medium of human experience. It portrays the unfolding of man’s consciousness from its lowest level of awareness to the Jesus Christ state of consciousness.

The Bible is a personal story. When an individual studies the Bible in this way and not as a history book, it becomes a very present and living document that provides genuine assistance to the individual as he personally unfolds from a dependence on rules and rituals to a life of grace as an individualized expression of God.

“The whole of Truth is always here, open to us; however, it is necessary that we find it for ourselves. Each of us, in order to come into an understanding of this knowledge, must have his own revelation of the Truth of God. This throws the responsibility of the spiritual unfoldment of the individual upon the individual himself. It shows us that no one can take another and put him into the Kingdom of God but that the realization of the glories of this kingdom depends upon each one of us. The Spirit of Truth leads us into all truth, for the Spirit is open and ready to lead.”

Nona Brooks

The Aramaic language, believed to have been used by Jesus, had no past or future tense, which is one reason for praying the Lord’s Prayer in the present tense. This affirmative form of prayer is altogether consistent with the Master’s teachings and with his general attitude relative to the oneness of God and man.