Book Review – Broken Minds
Image: Broken Minds by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 8 out of 10. A good book on personal accounts of depression from a Christian perspective.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD / 7.17.2022; No. 87
Disclaimer: Yes, I am a physician, but I’m not your doctor and this article does not create a doctor-patient relationship. This article is for educational purposes and should not be seen as medical advice. You should consult with your physician before you rely on this information. This post also contains affiliate links. Please click this LINK for the full disclaimer.
Star Rating – 8 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Authors
Steve Bloem and Robyn Bloem
About the authors
Steve Bloem has a Master of Ministry degree from Baptist Bible Seminary and trained as a pastor. He cofounded Heartfelt Counseling Ministries and has a background in clinical counseling and case management. He also wrote the book The Pastoral Handbook of Mental Illness.
Robyn Bloem is the cofounder of Heartfelt Counseling Ministries.
General description
Broken Minds is a Christian book written by a married couple on their different experiences as one of them struggled for years with major depression and anxiety. This book covers a wide range of topics, with a focus on destigmatizing mental illness, describing different theological perspectives on major depression, and sharing helpful treatments.
Unique and most important aspects
In Broken Minds, the reader is invited into the personal and painful experiences of a Christian with depression and his spouse who is trying everything to help him. I found this book to be honest, courageous, and supportive of research-based treatments. The many stories and the alternating perspectives of Steve and Robyn Bloem held my interest. I especially appreciated the extent to which the authors address mental health stigma in Christian communities. The authors also cover a lot of ground on theological perspectives on depression and mental illness and they address Christian approaches that are harmful to depressed individuals and their families.
I did not agree with everything the authors stated, such as discounting the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy or the inclusion of an irrelevant/unhelpful section on sexual identity. This book was published in 2005, so it has some dated information. Also, the level of detail and data on some aspects of mental illness felt didactic at times.
Best quotes
“Don’t let anyone, even a Christian or secular counselor, convince you to go off your medications.”
“Three evangelical ‘camps’ offer differing definitions of mental illness and treatment approaches…Much of the ‘stigma’ attached to mental illness in evangelical circles arises out of presuppositions inherent in these three basic views.”
“Nouthetic counselors have tried to save people from Satan’s attacks, but they have instead been used as a satanic attack on the mentally ill and their families. In nouthetic counseling the ill are isolated from treatment, and they are made to doubt their spiritual growth and standing and God.”
“Telling depressed people (whether their depression is biological or not) that they are choosing unhappiness is like telling a man with two broken legs that he is choosing not to exercise the mobility needed to deliver packages for the United Parcel Service.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are interested in a Christian book with personal accounts of depression would likely enjoy Broken Minds.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for a Christian book that only considers depression to be a spiritual condition or a moral failure are unlikely to enjoy Broken Minds.
Conclusion
Broken Minds is a good book on personal accounts of depression from a Christian perspective.
