Full Description
Is it possible to develop such a thing as a biblical theology of mental health? How might we develop a helpful and pastoral use of scripture to explore questions of mental health within a Christian framework? This timely and important book integrates the highest levels of biblical scholarship with theological and pastoral concerns to consider how we use scripture when dealing with mental health issues.
Chapters include:
*Paula Gooder on Healing and wholeness
*Joanna Collicutt on Jesus and mental health
*Isabelle Hamley on Job
*David Firth on Anxiety in Scripture
*John Swinton on The Bible in Pastoral Care
*Walter Brueggemann on Psalms and lament
With a foreword from Archbishop Justin Welby
Contents
Author Biographies vii
Foreword by the Archbishop of Canterbury xi
Introduction xiii
Part 1: Biblical Theology 1
1. Narrative, Meaning Making and Mental Health 3
Jocelyn Bryan
2. Wholeness and Illness: A View from the Old Testament 20
Gordon McConville
3. Jesus and Madness 34
Joanna Collicutt
4. Paul and Mental Health 54
Stephen C. Barton
5. Paul, the Mind and the Mind of Christ 74
Paula Gooder
Part 2: Biblical Case Studies 83
6. Patient Job, Angry Job: Speaking Faith in the Midst of Trauma 85
Isabelle Hamley
7. Anxiety: Some Perspectives from the Old Testament 96
David G. Firth
8. Truth-telling as Well-making 105
Walter Brueggemann
9. Spirituality from the Depths: Responding to Crushing Circumstances and Psychological and Spiritual Distress in Jeremiah 115
Jill Firth
10. What Did Jesus Have to Say About Mental Health? The Sermon on the Mount 128
Christopher C. H. Cook
11. The Gerasene Demoniac 141
Christopher C. H. Cook
Part 3: Practical Focus 157
12. The Bible in Pastoral Care of Christians Living with Mental Health Challenges 159
John Swinton
13. The Formation of Christian Community: Reading Scripture in the Light of Mental Health 173
Nick Ladd
14. Bible and Trauma 192
Megan Warner
15. Christian Scripture as a Pastoral Resource for Promoting Resilience 206
Nathan White
Conclusion: Towards a Biblical Theology of Mental Health 217
Select Bibliography 229
Index of Biblical References 233
Index of Names and Subjects 239
