Image: Christians Get Depressed Too by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 8 out of 10. A great, practical book with Christian theological perspectives and advice on improving depression.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD, author of unJoy / 12.1.2021; No. 49
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
Author
David Murray
About the author
Dr. David Murray has authored several books on mental illness from a Christian perspective. He served as a pastor and lecturer in Scotland for over a decade and obtained his PhD at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is a counselor and the senior pastor of First Byron Christian Reformed Church in Byron Center, Michigan, and a professor at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His blog is headhearthand.org/blog.
General description
Christians Get Depressed Too is a short book on depression, stigma, and advice for Christians dealing with depression. The author addresses spiritual, biological and life circumstances that trigger depression and the impact that depression can have on a person’s faith. Dr. Murray organizes his theological perspectives and practical advice in chapters titled:
The Crisis
The Complexity
The Condition
The Causes
The Cures
The Caregivers
Unique and most important aspects
Christians Get Depressed Too is only a little over 100 pages long and surprisingly compact. Dr. Murray writes, “That is why this book is short and simple. Depressed people cannot read hundreds of pages.” Any book, including this one, that takes the time to reduce the stigma that Christians experience with depression earns my respect and approval. In Christians Get Depressed Too, Dr. Murray incorporates cognitive behavioral approaches and strategies. He reviews problematic thought patterns and thinking errors and also includes a clever and interesting thought log of an Old Testament figure, Asaph. In his chapter for caregivers, he writes a very helpful list of what not to say to depressed Christians.
Best quotes
“‘But Christians don’t get depressed!’ How many times have you thought that, said that, or heard that? How many times have Christian pastors and counselors made this claim, or at least implied it? If it is true that Christians don’t get depressed, it must mean either that the Christian suffering from depression is not truly depressed, or he is not a true Christian. But if this notion is false, what extra and unnecessary pain and guilt are heaped upon an already darkened mind and broken heart!”
“An additional benefit of having some knowledge about depression is that it will prevent the dangerous and damaging misunderstanding that often leaves people, especially Christians, to view medication as a rejection of God and His grace rather than a provision of God and His grace.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for a short, practical book that includes Christian theological perspectives on depression and helpful advice would likely enjoy Christians Get Depressed Too.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for a longer, comprehensive guide about what to do for Christians with depression are unlikely to enjoy Christians Get Depressed Too.
Conclusion
Christians Get Depressed Too is a great, practical book with Christian theological perspectives and advice on improving depression.