Comments | hermionesviolin: Yes, I know this is only the second such book I've tried -- but I am not full of optimism.

hermionesviolin

Yes, I know this is only the second such book I've tried -- but I am not full of optimism.

Jun 22, 2010 19:29

I am thus far underwhelmed by (and sometimes outright fail-boggled by) Barbara Cawthorne Crafton's book Jesus Wept: When Faith and Depression Meet. I don't even know what I want a Christian book on mental illness to do or say or include (so I don't know how I would even begin writing one myself -- even leaving aside the issue that, as someone who ( Read more... )

books, issues: mental illness, the book i'm not writing, religion: christianity, religion

Comments 8

carlyinrome June 22 2010, 23:45:34 UTC

I hope by "loonies" she means bad doctors, not, you know, the mentally ill.

Still. You'd hope someone writing on this subject would be a little more sensitive to the words she's using.

hermionesviolin June 23 2010, 00:16:48 UTC

Given the context, I'm fairly certain she means bad doctors, but still, I was really surprised at such thoughtless language in that context. I know it's colloquial and people don't really think about it at all when they're speaking (I said something about "sane flight [as in airline] options" today when talking to my boss -- though I immediately realized as soon as I'd said it and winced) but really? There was a lot I didn't like about Kathryn Greene-McCreight's book Darkness Is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental Illness, but I was really pleased at her calling out the way we stigmatize folks with mental illness with the jokes we make, etc.

cadenzamuse June 23 2010, 00:09:39 UTC

I am in rehearsal so can't think atm about what I would want in a Christian book on depression (I will probably have thoughts for you tomorrow morning? or I might make a post on it...), but that's a quote of awful. Ugh.

hermionesviolin June 23 2010, 00:20:31 UTC

I definitely welcome your thoughts, on the phone or in your own post or both.

My housemate (who is an actualfax therapist, and generally not full of fail) responded to this post by saying, "Hey, Elizabeth! Wanna write a book together?"

speacechilde June 23 2010, 00:39:34 UTC

I should check my work spreadsheets--I swear I've seen Christian mental health resources reviewed in the various journals, but I can't think of any titles offhand.

hermionesviolin June 23 2010, 00:52:01 UTC

That'd be great -- thanks!

marginaliana June 23 2010, 00:55:04 UTC

That quote... D: D: D:

my two cents zzrg July 4 2010, 10:20:18 UTC

For me faith is action. Faith is doing "the next right thing" not because you know or trust how things are going to turn out, but because you believe it's the right thing to do and if you do the right thing then things will turn out the way they are susposed to and there will be things to be grateful for along the way ( ... )