from the Mary Baker Eddy Library
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was a Russian writer, regarded today as one of the greatest and most influential authors of all time. His most notable works include the epic novels War and Peace (1869), Anna Karenina (1878), and Resurrection (1899). Tolstoy and Mary Baker Eddy were prominent figures during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Through their moral teachings and literary works, both made a significant impact on Christian thought. But were they aware of each other? The Mary Baker Eddy Library houses correspondence, books, and scrapbooks that make important connections between Tolstoy and Eddy—and showcase a mutual respect for each other’s work.
Although residing on opposite sides of the world, both Tolstoy and Mrs. Eddy went through deep spiritual transformations later in life that endured the rest of their lives. Discussing her own awakenings, Mrs. Eddy stated in her autobiographical work Retrospection and Introspection, “…in the latter part of 1866 I gained the scientific certainty that all causation was Mind, and every effect a mental phenomenon.” …
Tolstoy may have been one of the first people in Russia to have read Science and Health. Within the month his eldest son, Sergei Tolstoy, sent a letter of acknowledgement and thanks to Mrs. Eddy on his father’s behalf. Two months later, on May 2, 1901, Mrs. Eddy also sent Tolstoy a copy of her book Miscellaneous Writings, 1883-1896. In a letter accompanying the parcel, she noted where in that book Tolstoy could find a testimonial that explained how someone became interested in Science and Health. Perhaps by choosing to point out this particular item she was speaking to what she believed Tolstoy might take special interest in; he had noted in October 1897 that one can “understand and feel God when one has understood clearly the unreality of everything material.”