What do you think?
Christian Psychiatry
Christian Psychiatry offers practical, workable solutions that recognize God's role in the healing process. This edition provides up-to-date information and insight on such current topics as PMS, bulimia, stress, and co-dependency.
228 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1977
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 20, 2024
A PSYCHIATRIST PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE SUBJECT
Frank Minirth is also a psychiatrist and president of the Minirth Clinic in Texas, as well as an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. He has also written/cowritten books such as 'Happiness is a Choice,' 'Mood Swings,' 'Introduction to Psychology and Counseling,' etc.
They wrote in the Introduction to this 1990 book (first edition, 1977), "We believe there is such a philosophy and in this book have developed the concepts we've chosen to simply describe as Christian Psychiatry... In Christian Psychiatry the counselor is concerned not only with psychological and physical problems, but also with spiritual problems... the counselor is aware that physical problems may be contributing to an apparent spiritual or psychological problem... The Bible gives a Christian counselor a foundation, stability, and guidelines as he or she approaches the problems that face the individual... the counselor seeks a balance without focusing either entirely on the past or only on the present..." (Pg. 11-12)
They note, "Through clinical studies, we have learned about the importance of such techniques as behavior modification and how the proper treatment of chemical imbalances in the brain can be remarkably effective. Yet... these approaches... have limitations. First, there is no standard of authority besides man's logic or conscience... Second... the new approaches [depend] on man's own willpower... Third... [they] do not address the fact that man... tends to be basically selfish and sinful." (Pg. 21-22)
They explain, "certain principles make Christian counseling unique. First, it accepts the Bible as the final standard of authority... Christians are not left to explore ... the myriad of philosophies ... and to hope by chance to hit upon a correct system of right and wrong... it depends not only on man's willpower to be responsible, but also on ... [the] Holy Spirit to conquer man's problems... Third... even though man does have a basic selfish component, he, if a Christian, has a much stronger godly component... Fourth... it offers an effective way to deal with the past as well as the present... The fifth reason... is that it is based on God's love... The sixth reason ... is that it is universal. It can apply to all people regardless of genetic, social, educational, or cultural background." (Pg. 25-28)
They suggest, "The soul is the psychological aspect of man, whereas the spirit is the spiritual. Psychiatrists and psychologists have focused ... [to] help individuals with confused minds, weak wills, and labile emotions... A Christian's problems may be manifested through any one of the parts of the soul." (Pg. 54) They add, "The reasons why Christians have emotional problems are many. Genetics, environment, physical health, and stress are all factors... However... Many problems could be avoided for the Christian if he just lived a life constantly as Christ wanted him to." (Pg. 56-57) They assert, "much of what is suspected to be demon possession could be one of several psychiatric problems---acute manic psychosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, multiple-personality disorder, temporal lobe epilepsy, and schizophrenia... Safety for the Christian is not found in being overly interested in demon possession but in having a renewed interest in Christ our Lord." (Pg. 109-110)
They advise, "Some Christian counselors have... been opposed to medications that affect the brain's function. We believe that an understanding of how medication works in the correction of a chemical imbalance is important in considering the validity of that medication... On the other hand, if the medication does not correct an abnormal physiological state, we would question their validity." (Pg. 147)
This book is an excellent exposition of a Christian approach to psychiatry, and will be of great interest to anyone studying this area.
Frank Minirth is also a psychiatrist and president of the Minirth Clinic in Texas, as well as an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. He has also written/cowritten books such as 'Happiness is a Choice,' 'Mood Swings,' 'Introduction to Psychology and Counseling,' etc.
They wrote in the Introduction to this 1990 book (first edition, 1977), "We believe there is such a philosophy and in this book have developed the concepts we've chosen to simply describe as Christian Psychiatry... In Christian Psychiatry the counselor is concerned not only with psychological and physical problems, but also with spiritual problems... the counselor is aware that physical problems may be contributing to an apparent spiritual or psychological problem... The Bible gives a Christian counselor a foundation, stability, and guidelines as he or she approaches the problems that face the individual... the counselor seeks a balance without focusing either entirely on the past or only on the present..." (Pg. 11-12)
They note, "Through clinical studies, we have learned about the importance of such techniques as behavior modification and how the proper treatment of chemical imbalances in the brain can be remarkably effective. Yet... these approaches... have limitations. First, there is no standard of authority besides man's logic or conscience... Second... the new approaches [depend] on man's own willpower... Third... [they] do not address the fact that man... tends to be basically selfish and sinful." (Pg. 21-22)
They explain, "certain principles make Christian counseling unique. First, it accepts the Bible as the final standard of authority... Christians are not left to explore ... the myriad of philosophies ... and to hope by chance to hit upon a correct system of right and wrong... it depends not only on man's willpower to be responsible, but also on ... [the] Holy Spirit to conquer man's problems... Third... even though man does have a basic selfish component, he, if a Christian, has a much stronger godly component... Fourth... it offers an effective way to deal with the past as well as the present... The fifth reason... is that it is based on God's love... The sixth reason ... is that it is universal. It can apply to all people regardless of genetic, social, educational, or cultural background." (Pg. 25-28)
They suggest, "The soul is the psychological aspect of man, whereas the spirit is the spiritual. Psychiatrists and psychologists have focused ... [to] help individuals with confused minds, weak wills, and labile emotions... A Christian's problems may be manifested through any one of the parts of the soul." (Pg. 54) They add, "The reasons why Christians have emotional problems are many. Genetics, environment, physical health, and stress are all factors... However... Many problems could be avoided for the Christian if he just lived a life constantly as Christ wanted him to." (Pg. 56-57) They assert, "much of what is suspected to be demon possession could be one of several psychiatric problems---acute manic psychosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, multiple-personality disorder, temporal lobe epilepsy, and schizophrenia... Safety for the Christian is not found in being overly interested in demon possession but in having a renewed interest in Christ our Lord." (Pg. 109-110)
They advise, "Some Christian counselors have... been opposed to medications that affect the brain's function. We believe that an understanding of how medication works in the correction of a chemical imbalance is important in considering the validity of that medication... On the other hand, if the medication does not correct an abnormal physiological state, we would question their validity." (Pg. 147)
This book is an excellent exposition of a Christian approach to psychiatry, and will be of great interest to anyone studying this area.
April 7, 2008
technical, but excellent for professional counselors
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews