THOMAS C. JOHNSEN

1951 - 2020

JOHNSEN, Thomas C. Historian, Christian Healer, Devoted Christian Scientist A church historian, scholar, and devoted Christian Scientist who became one of the foremost authorities on Christian Science history and who served his church as a practitioner or healer, teacher, and for two decades as a researcher, writer, and later advisor to the Committee on Publication at the denomination's Boston headquarters, died on Thursday, January 23, at his home in Watertown.

Dr. Johnsen's years as a Harvard undergraduate in history and literature (BA, 1973), a student of American religious history at Johns Hopkins University (Ph. D, 1983), and his mentoring by and close friendship with church historian and biographer of Mary Baker Eddy, Robert Peel, served as a springboard for an interest that would become a lifelong pursuit-untangling denominational history and theology from the biases of polemicists and apologists and coming to "real history." As he put it: "The real value in history comes in truthfulness about it. . . . that realism of humanity that, yes, sometimes we have feet of clay" but nevertheless, "spiritual healing happens."

It was his consecrated work over many decades as a Christian healer that most refreshed his serious spirit, bringing to a busy life spiritual renewal and Christian discipleship-even while it brought keen insight to his academic work, offering the kind of first-hand experience that only an insider of impeccable integrity and with a conscientious scholarly approach can bring to the subject of religion. He wrote on Christian Science history and practice in publications such as The New England Quarterly, Medical Heritage, Christian Century, Patheos, Encyclop?die Universelle: Oeuvres Philosophiques, and Religious Leadership: A Reference Handbook. His religious writings appeared in denominational publications, including The Christian Science Journal and the Christian Science Sentinel.

He impressed his close friends with his lifelong love for church-something he saw as more than a wholesome social activity. To him, church was God-centered and demanded changes in the church member, but it offered priceless glimpses of redemption in return. He wrote in 2014 in one of the Church's publications, "This process of redemption is a continuing source of spiritual strength in a church. It's why Church has such power to move our hearts, and why our persistent prayer and striving for the demonstration of Church matters so enormously in the world." He often spoke of the need to "stretch" spiritually to honor God and truly follow Christ Jesus in daily life in order to genuinely meet human need.

Tom's ever-increasing commitment to Christian healing and the love that enables it demonstrated a newness of life that remains to lift our hearts.

Thomas Christopher Johnsen was born in Baltimore, Maryland, August 28, 1951, to Henry E. Johnsen and Marion E. Johnsen, n?e Kummen. He loved serving God and humanity and working for his branch church, but what he loved most was teaching Sunday School; also, the happiness and solace of a loving family and good friends. He is survived by his wife, Sunhi Johnsen; his son Lincoln Johnsen, from a former marriage to Martha Kiefer; his brothers, Peter and Matthew; and his sisters, Sue Webster and Martha Weingarten. No services are planned.