Modern Psychopathologies: A Comprehensive Christian Appraisal

Abstract

MODERN PSYCHOPATHOLOGIES: A COMPREHENSIVE CHRISTIAN APPRAISAL. Mark A. Yarhouse, Richard Butman, and Barrett McRay. 2005. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Pp. 457. Hb. $26.00. Reviewed by Larry N. Ferguson (Psychologist, Corcoran State Prison/CA). Throughout history, long before any of our Diagnostic and Statistic Manuals, the Church attempted understand and treat mental illnesses. This soul and pastoral work has been part of the church for two millennium. As our western world developed, medical, psychological, and spiritual concerns confronted treatment issues within the Church. When the DSM (now in its fourth edition) was printed, the shift from any spiritual consideration was essentially established. We watched as the DSM was revised include, exclude, or redefine mental illness. Within parts of the Christian community sat by as etiologies, symptoms, pathogenesis, and treatment considerations were identified that excluded spiritual deliberations. In other segments of the Christian community the whole idea of sin is used explain many pathologies. This tension is still evident today. This book states its purpose to sort out our convictions about integration of faith in the study of psychopathology, desiring engage other Christians in a dialogue about ways of thinking about diagnosis and through the eyes of faith (p. 9). To do so, the authors say we draw attention the resources already present in historic pastoral care, including an understanding of sin and its relation contemporary categories of psychopathology (p. 9). The authors want consider ways in which the church has historically approached symptoms of psychological and spiritual concerns ... explain what know about ... reflecting on these explanatory frameworks in an intentional manner (pp. 9-10). This is a thoughtful book that informs the contemporary with an historical understanding from pastoral work. The book has four parts. Part I looks at the Issues in Integration of Christianity and the Scientific Study of Psychopathology. Four chapters review how Pastoral Care in the church has tried understand the of persons. These included the spiritual and social aspects, biological and sociocultural issues, and the questions of where sin fits into an understanding of pathology. These chapters are foundational the book. They remind us that Scriptures assume the reality of suffering and the need for care (p. 21). They show how compartmentalization of the spiritual and psychological has occurred. …

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