The Exploration of the Inner World: A Study of Mental Disorder and Religious Experience

by Anton T. Boisen

This book remains perhaps the most important book in the field of the psychology of religion since James's "Varieties of Religious Experience. " Review of Religion "This is one of the most profound and important documents of our time . . . it was a good twenty years ahead of its time, and only now is thinking in the field of psychiatry, psychology and religion beginning to catch up with the insight Boisen had in 1936. - O. Hobart Mowrer.

Genres: Psychology, Religion

Paperback

First published January 1, 1936

About the author

Anton Theophilus Boisen was an American chaplain.

Reviews

[Jeffrey Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boisen (1876-1965) is considered the father to the clinical pastoral movement, and I read this as part of the process to be a board certified clinical chaplain with CPSP (College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy).

The thesis of his work was to explore the relationship between mental illness and religious experience. Boisen himself suffered extended bouts with mental illness and credited his personal spirituality with his recoveries. His work focused on the mentally ill as he served as the chaplain to patients in mental health facilities.

In some places this book is highly technical and filled with the results of tedious studies through which I hardly skimmed. However, in most of the book, Boisen challenged church and science to recognize the physical and spiritual (holistic) natures of mental health. That is to say that mental illness has spiritual causes as well as "organic", to use Boisen's language. (Today, we might use the term "biological").

With this view Boisen raised the role of the clinical chaplain to equal footing with the doctor's in the healing of mental disorders. In the chapter "Where Priest and Physician Meet," he observes the treatment of the ill in Jesus' day, when those suffering mental and physical disease "were generally driven out into the desert beyond the city gates" (p. 220). He goes on to call for "priest and physican [to] meet" and to "join hands...as we approach this problem from all angles and explore the inner world throughout its entire range."

I particularly benefited from Boisen's treatment of this subject as it reaffirmed in my mind the level of pastoral authority I practice as a hospice chaplain. Although I do not routinely see patients with extreme mental disorders, as Boisen did, I am reminded that we all have psychological issues and strategies we employ -- many on a subconscious level -- to navigate the treacherous paths of life. (Boisen points out that perhaps the Psalmist in the 23rd Psalm is referring to something like this when he speaks of walking "through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.")

So in this book I found an affirmation of the interdisciplinary practice of so many in the field of healthcare -- doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, volunteers, social workers, chaplains, etc. coming together to bring healing to patients and family members suffering from an array of illnesses.

Pastors and church leaders will also benefit from chapter IV ("The Messianic Consciousness," pp. 125-141). The author discusses Albert Schweitzer's view that Jesus' awareness of his role as Messiah developed over time. This is significant for clinical chaplains, as well, if I'm not reading too much into Schweitzer's argument. That is, if I understand Schweitzer correctly, he sees Jesus as Messiah who took on human form (see Philippians 2:1-11) to experience man's suffering for himself (see Hebrews 4:15), so that he might bring healing to sufferers. If this is true, not only are chaplains able to participate in this ministry, but so can all who see themselves as the hands and feet of God bringing healing to the world.

There are in Boisen's work a number of practical suggestions for the Church in general, as well as for those with mental disorders or illnesses of any kind. I found it to make significant contributions to my personal theology of suffering and to challenge my practice as a follower of Jesus. I highly recommend it to my chaplain colleagues and to all who see themselves as instruments of compassion and healing.

[David Corbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a little dated but the information is invaluable. A great resource for anyone exploring the link between religion and psychology.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

the hospital librarian borrowed this book for me at my request from the washburn university library. with a 1936 copyright,i didn't know if it was even still in print. the author, anton t. boisen is recognized as the father of the modern chaplains' training program. he is often quoted in professional literature, and discussed among my colleagues. i'm quite familiar with his references to the "living human documents," as the people we chaplains serve. i was amazed at the depths of insights from a time in history that predates even the first world war. much of what he said was prophetic and timeless. here's a summary of my understanding of what he said.
Rev boisen came to his insights azbout the treatment of the mentally ill through his own experience and observations as a patient in a mental hospital. he recognized that a psychotic break (he called it dementia praecox) resulted from the shame and disorganization that results when a person's experience doesn't match the standards and values of the people and society to which he (boisen uses language of 1936 which had not yet been challenged by political correctness)belongs. he said the psychosis is the person's attempt to reorganize his world. he recognized the difficulty and necessity the patient has to discuss the disconnect without judgement. boisen makes numerous refernces to the influencial writers and experts of his day, including freud, jung, george fox, and john bunyon. he agreed with freud that at the bottom, the disorganization is sexual in nature. he gives his critique of the church in being a major source of the shame, but also validated the necessity of the church in forming values, developing faith, and giving people a sense of connectedness and community. he said societies without religion don't survive, and discussed liberalism, and the shifting values that i thought didn't happen until after the "pill." there were times i thought boisen must have been living today.
it seemed to take awhile to wade through the foundation boisen laid in the first 2/3 of the book. it became most interesting to me when i got to the practical applications of part 3, where he talked about training chaplains--even pastors--in helping patients and parishioners with the spiritual concerns of meaning and purpose, forgiveness, mercy, and divine love. near the end, boisen weaves together the "interrelationship of individual and social salvation--a teaching that would not likely be very popular in today's culture in the usa, but which seems profoundly important from my perspective.
something boisen did not see nor anticipate in his day was children with mental illness. i suspect it was due to a reality of the extreme hiddenness and shame correlated with childhood sexual abuse; it might also be an increased phenomenon correlated with modern media and loosening of sexual mores.
i was glad for the appendix of technical terms and concepts to help me be clear at times what boisen was discussing.
overall, the care of the mentally ill, and the theological concepts that guide me in my work as a hospital chaplain touch the tenderest parts of my own soul, and i'm thankful for the ground-breaking work of this man in the field i love.