Darkness Is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental Illness

Darkness Is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental Illness
Average customer rating:

A Helpful Companion

Excellent Christian book dealing with Bipolar Disorder

brutal honesty, compassion, hope

Should be prefaced with a warning of some sort...

Insightful, powerful, and moving read

Darkness Is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental Illness
Kathryn Greene-McCreight
Manufacturer: Brazos Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Mental Illness | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Psychology | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1587431750
Release Date: 2006-04-01

Book Description

Where is God in the suffering of a mentally ill person? What happens to the soul when the mind is ill? How are Christians to respond in the face of mental illness? In Darkness Is My Only Companion, Kathryn Greene-McCreight confronts these difficult questions raised by her own mental illness--bi-polar disorder. With brutal honesty, she tackles often avoided topics such as suicide, mental hospitals, and shock therapy. Greene-McCreight offers the reader everything from poignant and raw glimpses into the mind of a mentally ill person to practical and forthright advice for their friends, family, and clergy. Her voice is a comfort to those who suffer from mental illness and an invaluable resource for those who love and support them.

Customer Reviews:

A Helpful Companion.......2007-09-07

For Christians who struggle with clinical depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia this book will be a godsend. The author is a trained theologian and Anglican priest who has experienced these forms of mental illness and anguish first-hand. The title comes from a translation of the last verse of Psalm 88. Subtitled, "A Christian Response to Mental Illness", the book is not so much a chronicle of her experience as it is one of her effort to find meaning in that experience through her Christian faith. Christians have often experienced suffering in one form or another, but mental illness bears a stigma that makes it a form of suffering that is often borne in secret. In sharing her struggle, the author reveals remarkable insight and courage with a touch of humor. She bravely confronts those who do not understand her experience-from fellow Christians with less than helpful advice to secular psychiatrists who show bafflement or even distain for her religion-even while accepting from them whatever is true or helpful. The only true enemy she has is her illness and its symptoms. She comes through her struggle wounded but transformed by the experience, a whole person, able to find meaning in it in the light of her faith in Christ.

The author's experience made my own struggle with depression look like a picnic but I was very encouraged to find some strong similarities in the way each of us found help and strength in times of great need. I could relate very well to her struggles in prayer and use of Scripture (especially the Psalms) and their vital importance in the process. Greene-McCreight's reflections upon relevant portions of Scripture and the prayers of others throughout the book are of tremendous value. She takes a holistic view of God's provision for those who suffer from mental illness. Her faith is the foundation, but psychotherapy, counseling, medication and the love of friends and family are all part of the help God gives us.

It's hard to know if faith is genuine until it is tested in some way. Does it hold up when stressed beyond our own ability to sustain or comprehend it? Too often among Christians is a sound faith equated with happy feelings. Real joy is an altogether different thing. For Greene-McCreight, the most important lesson learned is that "despair can live with Christian faith. Indeed, having despair while knowing in your heart that God has conquered even that is a great form of faith, for it is tried by fire." She seems to find herself a better stronger person for having been through such a trial, less fearful of any future recurrence of symptoms and more imbued with God's grace. I'm glad she chose not to keep quiet about her sufferings since this book will be a great help to others who either need the help for themselves or want to help others who do.

Excellent Christian book dealing with Bipolar Disorder.......2007-05-21

As someone who is dealing with bipolar disorder herself, I found this book to be tremendously helpful. I especially appreciate the fact that it comes from a Christian perspective. It is very well written and enjoyable to read. =)

brutal honesty, compassion, hope.......2007-01-18

When Kathryn Greene-McCreight was in grad school (she earned her PhD at Yale) and gave birth to her second child, she experienced her first major episode of clinical depression. Five years later doctors diagnosed her as bipolar. After five hospitalizations, two courses of electroconvulsive therapy, and constantly changing drug regimens, for the past two years she has experienced genuine improvement and stabilization. In this sensitive and sensible book, she grapples with what she calls the "apparent incongruity of that agony with the Christian life," offering theological and pastoral reflections forged in the fires of her experience.

The title for her book comes from the last verse of Psalm 88: "My friend and my neighbor you have put away from me, and darkness is my only companion" (KJV). Greene-McCreight addresses most of the questions you might expect. Why does God allow such suffering? Why does He seem to abandon someone who is in such pain, and not answer prayer? Is there a connection between sin and suffering? Just what is personality? What is the relationship between the brain, the mind, and the soul? These are not academic questions, but intensely practical ones for somebody trying to make some sense of profound darkness and disorientation in the light of the Gospel.

I found her chapters on mania, what it is like to stay in the hospital, and how she did and did not "connect" with her various therapists and doctors especially moving. In keeping with her Christian tradition as an Episcopal priest, Greene-McCreight does a fine job at incorporating Scripture, tradition (especially a wonderful selection of hymns, poems and prayers), reason (in this case scientific or medical knowledge), and human experience. She concludes that major mental illness results from a combination of both nature and nurture. As for treatment, she does an excellent job of commending the wisdom of the secular medical community, but also cautioning about times and places "where the chasm between the religious patient and the non-religious therapist simply cannot be bridged." A chapter at the end of the book offers practical advice on how clergy, friends, and family can help a person who struggles with major mental illness. I recommended this book to a friend and also a family member before I had even finished it.

Should be prefaced with a warning of some sort..........2006-12-30

As Christian struggling with Bipolar Disorder, I have been searching for this book (or something like it) since my diagnosis. Thank you Kathryn for opening yourself up to being broken before others, and in doing so lifting up brothers and sisters who feel so alone in their struggle.
My only suggestion is that there be a warning within the introduction that the first section's chapters are very graphic and moving, to the point of triggering feelings associated with suicide. (NOTE:This has been my own experience with the book, and does not reflect upon the author.) The descriptions of mania, depression, suicidal thoughts and hospitalizations are all so closely mirrored by my own experiences that things got a little intense. I so appreciated the gems of wisdom as well as the Bible verses that helped take the edge off the overwhelming thoughts and feelings.
Again, thank you for writing this book. It has and will continue to be used by God to encourage and uplift the mentally ill Christian

Insightful, powerful, and moving read.......2006-08-26

This book is a much-needed addition to understanding the experiential side of mental illness. It honestly and movingly explores what it is like to be in the grip of mental anguish, and the emotional, relational, and spritual dilemmas and questions that brings. It's written from a Christian perspective, but would be helpful not only for anyone who suffers from mental illness themselves, or who loves someone who does, but also for anyone who desires thoughtful reflection on the meaning of suffering. Highly recommended.

Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling (AACC Library)

Average customer rating:

A Good Read for Christian Counselors
Excellent in Fulfilling Its Purpose
PTaS Review
Table of Contents
A must for therapists who seek to integrate spirituality

Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling (AACC Library)
Mark R. McMinn
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 084235252X

Book Description

The American Association of Christian Counselors and Tyndale House Publishers are committed to ministering to the spiritual needs of people. This book is part of the professional series that offers counselors the latest techniques, theory, and general information that is vital to their work. While many books have tried to integrate theology and psychology, this book takes another step and explores the importance of the spiritual disciplines in psychotherapy, helping counselors to integrate the biblical principles of forgiveness, redemption, restitution, prayer, and worship into their counseling techniques.

Mark R. McMinn, Ph.D., is professor of psychology at Wheaton College Graduate School in Wheaton, Illinois, where he directs and teaches in the Doctor of Psychology program. A diplomate in Clinical Psychology of the American Board of Professional Psychology, McMinn has thirteen years of postdoctoral experience in counseling, psychotherapy, and psychological testing. McMinn is the author of Making the Best of Stress: How Life's Hassles Can Form the Fruit of the Spirit; The Jekyll/Hyde Syndrome: Controlling Inner Conflict through Authentic Living; Cognitive Therapy Techniques in Christian Counseling; and Christians in the Crossfire (written with James D. Foster). He and his wife, Lisa, have three daughters.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Read for Christian Counselors.......2007-10-07

The book is a required book for an elective graduate class that I am currently taking. If you are interested in Christian Counseling, it is a good book for you to read, because it presents the arguments on why it is an effective modality. If you aren't interested in Christian Counseling, it is going to show you some of the beliefs that Christian counselors have. It is a good book, but it is a little on the heavy side in terms of material.

Excellent in Fulfilling Its Purpose.......2005-12-31

Mark McMinn clearly fulfilled his purpose in writing "Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling." That is, he has outlined for readers, in particular for Christian counselors, pastors, and students the definitions, similarities, and differences between these three overlapping disciplines.

Of course, with the divergent views on these issues, not everyone will agree with his definitions. Nor will they agree with where he draws the lines of overlap. And perhaps even less with his take on integration or non-integration of these three disciplines.

This work is not a biblical psychology text (it is not a theology of the human soul), but it never proposed to be such. Nor is it a history of spirituality (again, not its purpose). Nor is it a methodology for daily practice.

Its value lies in its ability to outline the issues that one must think through when pondering the potential relationship between these disciplines. It is thus, catalytic in function. For an academic text book for class room discussion, it has few peers in the genre.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," "Biblical Psychology," "Martin Luther's Pastoral Counseling," and "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

PTaS Review.......2005-10-17

This book does an excellent job in facing the questions every Christian counselor has to deal with in a secular world. Whether a student or clinician, this book provides clear direction without compromising ones faith. It respects existing theory to the therapeutic process, addresses their strengths and weaknesses, and shows the effectiveness of Christian tenants in the healing process. The book is easy to read and well structured. Sample cases are realist and McMinn does an excellent job of demonstrating the application of Christian beliefs to the healing process, covering a good cross section of disorders. For the lay counselor, the clinician, or individual in pastoral care this book is clear and thorough on the topic of Spiritual integration.

Table of Contents.......2000-01-21

Chapter 1: Religion in the Counseling Office. Chapter 2: Toward Psychological and Spiritual Health. Chapter 3: Prayer. Chapter 4: Scripture. Chapter 5: Sin. Chapter 6: Confession. Chapter 7: Forgiveness. Chapter 8: Redemption.

A must for therapists who seek to integrate spirituality.......1999-03-24

McMinn writes for the Christian professions, the religious, and the lay people. He also seeks to speak to those who are pursuing active integration of faith, psychology and theology. It is very refeshing reading as he discusses classic Christianity and its applicability to everyday problems. With the popular publication's sloppy "a little bit of this and a little bit of that" view of spirituality, McMinn presents a well thought out response. A must read for counselors, psychologist and psychiatrists.

Transforming Spirituality: Integrating Theology and Psychology

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Transforming Spirituality: Integrating Theology and Psychology
F. LeRon Shults , and Steven J. Sandage
Manufacturer: Baker Academic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Applied Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 080102823X
Release Date: 2006-06-01

Book Description

The twenty-first century has given rise to a growing interest in the intersection of science, religion, and spirituality. Few books address these issues from multiple perspectives and theories. To fill this void, F. LeRon Shults and Steven Sandage, coauthors of The Faces of Forgiveness (winner of the Narramore Award from the Christian Association for Psychological Studies) continue their interdisciplinary dialogue in their latest work, Transforming Spirituality. In this book Shults and Sandage address the subject of spiritual transformation through the lenses of psychology and theology. In addition to college and seminary students, Transforming Spirituality will appeal to readers interested in Christian spirituality. What is more, it provides helpful insights for counselors, psychologists, and others who work in the mental health field.

Recalling Our Own Stories: Spiritual Renewal for Religious Caregivers (The Jossey-Bass Religion-in-Practice Series)

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Renewal for your weary spirit!
Retreat in a book

Recalling Our Own Stories: Spiritual Renewal for Religious Caregivers (The Jossey-Bass Religion-in-Practice Series)
Edward P. Wimberly
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
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ASIN: 0787903639

Book Description

Reconnect with your original call to ministry and passion for caregiving with this spiritual rene retreat in book form.
Clergy and other professional religious caregivers routinely find that parishioners and clients expect from them a superhuman level of empathy and love?a level that embodies God's love. Many of these caregivers expect no less of themselves. This myth of perfection often leads to burnout in caregivers, who then run the risk of damaging themselves and others.
Minister and counselor Edward P. Wimberly crafts a powerful and innovative path to renewal based on his popular workshops and retreats. He guides religious professionals?trained to attend to the stories of others?to reexamine the personal and professional stories that shape their own lives as individuals, family members, and ministers. Recalling Our Own Stories, a spiritual renewal retreat in book form, guides religious professionals in reconnecting with their original calling. Most important, it offers readers ways to reauthor their personal mythologies, giving them renewed vigor in ministry and caregiving.
Wimberly shares the varied life stories of caregivers of diverse cultural backgrounds while walking readers through the process of revisiting their lives, recognizing unrealistic expectations, and transforming wounded beliefs into sources of compassion, strength, and renewal.

Customer Reviews:

Renewal for your weary spirit!.......2007-09-27
While I won't give a long detailed academic review, I will tell you that this text is a must read. It is especially helpful for those in healthcare ministry and anyone who is experiencing burnout will find this to be a useful tool in discovering the origins of your burnout as well as developing strategies for renewal. This book just might change your life and your ministry!
Retreat in a book.......2005-10-19
One of the issues that clergy and other ministers have to face is the prospect of burn-out. Whether they are (by some definitions) sole ministers in charge of a church or chaplaincy, or whether they are part of a team, the prospect of burn-out is a very real one - this can happen in terms of physical well-being (some will work themselves too many hours a week without rest for too long, and suffer the effects), and sometimes it can occur spiritually, in terms of disillusionment, lack of direction, lack of focus, or a lack of the same kind of satisfaction of fulfilling a vocation which drew the person to ministry in the first place.

In many ways, this book by Edward Wimberly is a retreat in a book. Wimberly has experience at leading retreats and workshops for ministers and religious caregivers to 'explore our deep convictions and beliefs about ourselves, our marriages, our families, and our lives in ministry.' Over time, Wimberly noticed certain patterns, and applied the idea of narrative interpretation (setting up one's own story and mythology) to understanding these kinds of patterns and influences in our lives.

This text looks at many different issues. One issue is the idea of expectations - can ministers and religious caregivers live up to expectations? Are the self-expectations of ministers the same as those expected by members of the community or congregation? Another issue is that of cultural influences and our own interpretations of our lives - to what extent do we let the outside world define us?

After an introductory chapter that opens the field in terms of biblical and church tradition, Wimberly looks at the issues of personal, marital, family and ministerial interpretations and meaning-making successively. Wimberly uses personal stories as well as others he has collected along the way to highlight ideas and perspectives, and each chapter also has a series of self-reflection exercises to help the reader gain insight into her or his own situation.

The second half of the book (chapters five through ten) look at ways of reconstructing one's life in terms of story and narrative. Again these show examples of others who have been through this process, and the final chapter gives specific steps to follow, but also steps that are drawn broadly enough that the way in which any individual does them can vary widely. Wimberly also presents no illusion that this is a panacea or process that always works - the case of Douglas is a case in point here, of someone whose own stories were too resistant to change to work through any easy process; some of our stories are far too ingrained, and may require other processes to help us through them (and discernment can help us to identify when this is true).

Wimberly's book is a wonderful text, a very good system for those who want to renew themselves and rediscover the satisfactions of following one's vocation. I came upon this book at a critical time in my ministry, when I was feeling the sting of isolation and overwork, and while I cannot say that it solved all of my problems (and, of couse, I hasten to add that Wimberly doesn't promise such an outcome), it did help me refocus on many of the more positive aspects of what I was doing, and recast some of the more difficult pieces. It also helped me to take action to renew my connection with the broader community of ministers and caregivers.

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A Powerful Resource

Trauma & Evil: Healing the Wounded Soul
J. Jeffrey Means , and Mary Ann Nelson
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
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Book Description
This book enables caregivers working with victims of abuse and violence to add to their knowledge base a new understanding of evil and how it works to destroy the selves and souls of persons. Acknowledging that the worst forms of trauma are perpetrated consciously and intentionally, the authors also explore the more subtle and unconsciously driven expressions of evil that leave scars on the lives and psyches of persons. By integrating the experiences of persons hurt by evil and those who seek to help them with a socio-cultural and theological understanding of evil, a psychological understanding of trauma, and the resource of the Christian faith, caregivers will acquire an understanding that will help them move more intentionally into the moral, ethical, and faith dimensions of working with victims of trauma.
Customer Reviews:

A Powerful Resource.......2007-01-27
This book is a powerful resource for understanding and healing human response to trauma and evil. What a wonderful compilation and consolidation of what is so difficult to distill into words, acknowledgement of what is so prevalent yet so invisible, and language that unveils essential universal truths that other language buries. This book will help bring understanding, hope, strength and healing to many people.

Average customer rating:

The most congruent person who ever lived

Toward the serious contemplation of life...

An Excellent Book, First of it's Kind.

An unconvincing job of proof-texting

The Greatest Psychologist Who Ever Lived IS Mark Baker

The Greatest Psychologist Who Ever Lived: Jesus and the Wisdom of the Soul
Mark W. Baker
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Amazon.com
The Greatest Psychologist Who Ever Lived: Jesus and the Wisdom of the Soul is Mark W. Baker's attempt to reconcile Christianity and modern psychology. Baker's qualifications for the job are sound: he is executive director of the respected La Vie Counseling Center in Pasadena and a much-sought-after conference speaker. The book is divided into two sections, "Understanding People" and "Knowing Yourself," each of which is further organized into dozens of concise lessons. Some lessons are historical (such as "Why Freud Hated Religious Fundamentalism" and "Why Jesus Hated Religious Fundamentalism"); others are more practical (such as "Addiction and Idolatry" and "The Centered Self Is Not Self-Centered"). Each lesson is conveyed through personal and clinical anecdotes and Gospel stories, which Baker integrates smoothly. And each lesson explores a key psychoanalytic concept (such as transference or the unconscious), which Baker defines with clarity and integrity. "Freud ... considered religion a crutch people used to deal with their feelings of helplessness. This started a war between psychology and religion that continues to this day," Baker writes.
I have found the animosity existing on both sides of this conflict to be rooted in fear. Fear inhibits understanding. It is only when people stop being threatened long enough to listen to each other that they can begin to truly comprehend each other.
With The Greatest Psychologist, Baker gives Christian readers a resource for bridging a significant cultural and spiritual gap. --Paul Power
Book Description

Over one hundred years of modern psychology and we still haven't improved on the principles and lessons taught by the greatest doctor of the human soul -- Jesus. Even so, contemporary doctors of the mind typically take a narrow approach that sees any religious belief as a crutch people use to cope with their feelings of helplessness. In this unique and eye-opening book, Dr. Mark Baker offers a refreshing and practical understanding of how the teachings of Jesus are compatible with the science of psychology and can greatly improve our daily lives.

Embedded in Jesus' actions and sayings are remarkable lessons about human behavior that correspond to recent discoveries in the field of psychology. Divided into two major sections, "Understanding People" and "Knowing Yourself," this enlightening guide offers engaging anecdotes that illustrate the good sense of Jesus. The result is a powerful book that reveals the keys to psychological health and well-being.

Customer Reviews:

The most congruent person who ever lived.......2001-05-02
Congratulation's to Dr. Mark Baker for recognizing the profound ways in which Jesus speaks to our deepest human needs, wants and desires. I found this book to be a finely crafted reflection on the most complex and congruent person who ever lived. I appreciate the way Baker discusses complex issues without trivializing Jesus or the psychological concepts. Baker does a nice job integrating the timeless nature of Jesus' teaching with the timeliness of modern psychological insights. I see no discontinuity between theology and therapy. In fact, theology is most therapuetic when it is most faithful to Jesus.
Toward the serious contemplation of life..........2001-04-23
This book should be read by every person serious about looking at the quality of life they live. One reviewer has concluded that the "proof-texts fall short...". This is not a book about proof-texts but about looking at the wisdom of Jesus TODAY through the mind of a psychologist practicing TODAY. The people are real, the quality of life issues are real, but the wisdom is from the mouth of one who lived thousands of years ago -- corroborated by current psychological theory.
The effort is not (in my reading) to somehow characterize Jesus as a touchy-feely person, but to reveal the value of what He said to the world in which we live.
The book takes-to-task some traditional Christian thinking (e.g. what about original sin? people are good, people are bad...) and explores some very different ways (from my perspective) to understand addictions. Finally, Part 2 forces one to consider oneself -- very important work.
110 chapters in 281 pages of text -- that's 2.53 pages/chapter (on average). Makes a great way to start the day with some wisdom for the soul.
An Excellent Book, First of it's Kind........2001-04-07
Before I give my review I would like to breifly respond to the review I just read by Tom Hinkle. I have difficulty understanding why he would write a review like he did, perhaps he had difficulty understanding Dr. Baker's book. For Mr. Hinkle, a self proclaimed "amature" theologian, to insinuate that the biblical Jesus was not represented is completely untrue. I found the book to be honest and totally accurate. Mr Hinkle seems to have missed the entire point of the book. He accuses Dr Baker of promoting a relationship with a therapist over one with Christ. How he surmised that makes me wonder if he even read the book. Judging by how well the book is selling I would say that virtually no one would support his opinion. The book is interesting, and informative. It has great insights into human behavior and the teachings of Jesus. Dr. Baker did an excellent job and I highly reccomend this wonderful book.
An unconvincing job of proof-texting.......2001-03-08
I do agree that Jesus is the greatest psychologist who ever lived, because he knew people better than anyone in history, plus, as Dallas Willard has said in his writings, Jesus is the smartest person who ever lived. So that would make him the greatest psychologist. Unfortunately, this book falls short in proving that. It takes (mostly) fragments of Jesus' teaching out of context to attempt to prove that Jesus was in tune with late 20th-century psychological thought. Of course, psychology is an ever-changing science, so sound theory in that area today could easily be disproved tomorrow. Jesus is presented in this book as a guy in touch with his feelings, so we get the touchy-feely Jesus, as opposed to the biblical Jesus who said he only did what he saw his Father doing. Another fault of this book is that it seems, in a very subtle way, to promote the idea of a therapy-dependent society. After all, relationships are important, and the most important one, next to God, of course, is the relationship with the guy charging you $150 an hour to listen to your problems. Don't get me wrong, this book is not without value. If nothing else, it was informative concerning more recent developments in psychological theory. But I don't think psychological theory was what Jesus had in mind when he was doing most of his teaching.
The Greatest Psychologist Who Ever Lived IS Mark Baker.......2001-03-05
Dr. Baker is brilliant. This book settles many age old conflicts between human society and Jesus. It should be required reading for all ministers of the true faith. Truely it is a jewel in my collection.

Average customer rating:

Foundations for Christian Soul Care

Good resource for Christian counselors

This is a wonderful book

Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian Nurture and Counsel
David G. Benner
Manufacturer: Baker Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling (AACC Library)

ASIN: 0801090636
Release Date: 1998-12-01

Book Description
A practicing psychologist explores the church's role in "soul" advocating a counseling method that anchors modern therapy in timeless biblical principles.
Customer Reviews:

Foundations for Christian Soul Care.......2005-06-02
Benner's sub-title clearly delineates his purpose: "Revisioning Christian Nurture and Counsel." As a practicing Christian psychologist, author, and trainer of lay, pastoral, and professional counselors, David Benner's purpose in writing "Care of Souls" is "to make a contribution to the recovery of distinctively Christian soul care by developing an understanding of such care that can be of practical help to those involved in providing it to others" (p. 16).

In his first two chapters, Benner contrasts historical Christian soul care and spiritual direction (sustaining, healing, reconciling, and guiding) with the modern rise of what he calls "therapeutic" soul care--secular psychology's movement (contribution? or intrusion? or invasion?) into the field. These opening chapters describe the tension and set the tenor for the rest of the book. How do Christians reclaim the mantle of soul care? How do they practice it effectively?

Benner is neither naïve nor is he a "psychology basher." Therefore he carefully yet courageously charges into the battle lines, discussing psychology and spirituality, body and soul, psychology and religion, and the like. Perhaps his most interesting and insightful chapter in this section is his analysis of Christian spirituality. His chart on page 94 and the ensuing discussion on the four main ways (speculative, kataphatic, affective, and apophatic) of experiencing God, though not totally novel, are well-explained and applied. Granted, it is more likely that students and teachers will gravitate toward this section.

The second half of "Care of Souls" moves from this more technical, philosophical discussion to a more practical application. Here, among other topics, Benner discusses dialogue and dreams in soul care. He also outlines various types of Christian soul care such as psychotherapy, pastoral counseling, and lay counseling.

As an introductory text for the Christian student of pastoral counseling, Christian counseling, soul care, and spiritual direction, "Care of Souls" is excellent. For those looking for more specific "how tos" Benner's later book, "Sacred Companions" will quench their thirst.

Reviewer: Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the author of "Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," and the forthcoming, "Sacred Companions: A History of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."
Good resource for Christian counselors.......2004-12-13
In "Care of Souls," Benner proposes to explain "soul care" in its totality. He does so by examining the ideal characteristics of soul care providers, presenting his own definition of "dialogue," and explaining in detail the distinctiveness of "Christian spirituality." Unlike typical counseling techniques, Benner suggests that "providers of soul care" ought to offer "judicious advice, suggestions or offerings of direction" (155). He reasons that if dialogue is based on an "authentic relationship of care" then offering "ideas" and "suggestions" are expected (155).

I found the "seven characteristics of Christian soul care" helpful because I used the list to measure my own "qualifications" (207). Benner states that soul care providers should be "spiritually mature," which includes descriptors such as "personal holiness" and "well-developed habits of prayer" (209). The term "personal holiness" seems vague because it might be misconstrued as "holier than thou." The "demands of Christian soul care" are realistic and should be expected from all "soul care" providers (212). I think counselees expect (and deserve to get) truthfulness from the counselor; and counselors should "continue to grow" through continuing education, but more importantly they should continue to grow in their relationship with Christ in order to remain effective in their Christian counseling practices (213).

I found Benner's presentation of the future dilemma of "soul care" to be very troubling. According to Benner, soul care is not clinical or therapeutic (in the secular sense). Even though it is not clinical, soul care that is provided by a lay counselor will be seen as "substandard" and if it is promoted as "distinctly Christian," it will not be taken seriously (215). Based on Benner's suppositions, a soul care ministry would never work. His statement bothers me since this is the type of ministry I would like to start at church.

Although Benner's section "Preparing for Soul Care" is meant for people who will receive care, I think there were helpful suggestions that care providers should do for themselves. For instance, Benner recommends the practice of self-reflection (or "contemplative prayer"). This is where a person can "sit in God's presence" by allowing Him to "fill" one's consciousness thus enabling "psychospiritual growth" to happen (231). This seems like a fancy way of saying that persons ought to have personal devotions and meditate on God's Word-something soul care providers should be doing. Benner also suggests writing a "soul care autobiography" whereby a person can assess how "internal reality" matches with "external behavior" (232).

Providing soul care should be taken very seriously, in fact Benner lists seven "challenges" for those who wish to provide this type of care. Two challenges resonated with me: "Guard against the erosion of the personal in such care" and "avoid sacrificing being on the alter of doing" (216). Sometimes I forget that soul care is different from "traditional counseling." In a traditional counseling situation, friendship is not encouraged or developed-there is a "professional attitude" that keeps the relationship very business-like (216). From my understanding of Benner's stance, "professionalism" (one-sided approach to counseling) is discouraged because he believes the caregiver and receiver are "mutually" caring for each other (217). I tend to think that if someone seeks care, then the person is probably not very capable of giving care, so "mutual care" is not realistic.

Doing ministry due to an obligation, or forgetting the reason why one does ministry (to serve God) is probably a common problem for soul care providers, who are concerned about providing good care and meeting the needs of others. Ministry may start to feel like a chore. If the other "challenges" are met, then the focus of ministry will always be evident and soul care providers will never be drained of their "inner psychospiritual resources" nor neglect the "formative and transforming power" of the gospel (216). These challenges are good reminders for all counselors and soul care providers.

This is a wonderful book.......2000-03-12
Soul care involves nurture and support as well as healing and restoration. Soul refers to the whole person, including the body, but with particular focus on the inner world of thinking, feeling, and willing. The author describes soul care through the ages, and also shows how relevant insights from modern psychology can be an integral part of this much needed activity. The description of Jesus as the model soul shepherd, the comprehensive description of what Christian spirituality is, the comparison of various forms of Christian soul care (i.e. Christian Psychotherapy, Spiritual Direction, Pastoral Care), and the guidance for both how to give and receive soul care are excellent. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to go deeper in their relationship with God, and also for those who want to help other people to do the same.

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Smack in the face of popular [Christian] psychology!

BIBLICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Oswald Chambers
Manufacturer: Discovery House Publishers
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Binding: Paperback

Interpersonal Relations | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Product Description
Any book by Oswald Chambers is a repository of treasures. And this particular volume, one of the few books the author would see in print before his untimely death, reveals his gifts of insight and analysis. If you've ever tried to reconcile the yawning gulf between faith and a world full of anger and fear, this book will answer your most pressing questions.
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Smack in the face of popular [Christian] psychology!.......1998-01-15
This is a wonderfully refreshing book in light of the overly-sympathetic trends and "what you feel is what is real" psychology of today. Chambers clearly defines psychological health as the life that is Christ. In clearly developed thought he declares that the road to the wholly healthy life is through absolute surrender to the Absolutely Healthy One -- Jesus.

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Through A Glass Darkly: A Spiritual Psychology of Faith
Mary Jo Meadow
Manufacturer: The Crossroad Publishing Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Theology | Reference | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0824515102

Book Description
This book is a must for everyone who has thought at some time I must have lost my faith, or My faith is not what it should be. It is for all those who blame themselves for being unable to feel certian about the religious opinions given them as a necessary beliefs to hold. It is also for those who are concerned about the faith is a choice, often with difficult features, and never a thing: but a living process. Anyone interested in exploring this deeply personal and valued-laden aspect of life will find ideas to ponder and fresh understandings to consider.

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Pastoral Care Emergencies: Ministering to People in Crisis (Integration Books : Studies in Pastoral Psychology, Theology and Spirituality)
David K. Switzer
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
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