Book Review – When the Darkness Will Not Lift
Image: When the Darkness Will Not Lift by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 7 out of 10. A short book with Christian theological perspectives on depression.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD / 12.6.2021; No. 54
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 – 7 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
John Piper
About the author
Dr. John Piper is a teacher, theologian, former pastor, and best-selling author of over 50 books. He received his Doctor of Theology at the University of Munich, Germany. He is the chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and he founded the organization Desiring God, which promotes a branch of theology that Dr. Piper coined as Christian Hedonism.
General description
When the Darkness Will Not Lift is a short book on depression and spiritual darkness. Dr. Piper originally started it as the final chapter of his book When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy. This book mostly approaches depression from theological perspectives rather than focusing on practical advice. There are a few interesting stories of strong Christians who struggled with depression as well as references to the Bible, Christian history on the existence of depression and the struggles Christians have with it.
Unique and most important aspects
One of the things I appreciated the most about When the Darkness Will Not Lift is that Dr. Piper takes steps to reduce stigma for Christians who suffer from depression. While the book mostly addresses depression from a theological perspective, the author gives permission to Christians to obtain medical care for depression. The book is surprisingly short at 80 pages, and I found it to be a quick read even though it is somewhat academic. I found the chapter titled “Does Unconfessed Sin Clog Our Joy?” to be unhelpful, as I see it as likely to feed the self-critical thoughts that Christians with depression use to blame themselves for their condition.
Best quotes
“How can we help Christians who seem unable to break out of darkness into the light of joy? Yes, I call them Christians, and thus assume that such things happen to genuine believers. It happens because of sin, or because of Satanic assault, or because of distressing circumstances, or because of hereditary or other physical causes.”
“I will not go further in discussing the physical treatment of melancholy – and its severe form, depression. This is the work of a medical doctor, which I am not.”
“I do not want to give the impression that medication should be the first or main solution to spiritual darkness. Of course, by itself medication is never a solution to spiritual darkness. All the fundamental issues of life remain to be brought into proper relation to Christ when the medicine has done its work.”
“In other words, if someone reading this book is on medication, or is thinking about it, I do not condemn you for that, nor does the Bible. It may or may not be the best course of action. I commend you to the wisdom of a God-centered, Bible-saturated medical doctor.”
“One of the reasons God loved David so much was that he cried so much.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for Christian theological perspectives on depression would likely enjoy When the Darkness Will Not Lift.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for comprehensive guidance about what to do if they are Christian and have depression are unlikely to enjoy When the Darkness Will Not Lift.
Conclusion
When the Darkness Will Not Lift is a short book with Christian theological perspectives on depression.