PEOPLE IN PRINT
October 1, 1984
Depression: the Pastor's Vocational Hazard Coping with Depression in the Ministry and Other Helping Professions by Archibald Hart, Word, $10.95 Reviewed by Timothy K. Jones, co-pastor, Christ Our Peace Church of the Brethren, The Woodlands, Texas A pastor I know once fell into a severe depression. He managed to drag himself out of bed most mornings, but he dodged parishioners' calls, took lots of naps, and coped by "unhooking" himself from contact with others. Only with time did his inward crisis eventually resolve. Not every minister will face it in quite so stark a form, but Arch Hart believes depression has become the pastor's vocational hazard. Coping with Depression in the Ministry and Other Helping Professions details Hart's insights into mastering this troublesome emotion, which he calls the "dominant mood of our age." Years of counseling pastors and teaching at Fuller Seminary's School of Psychology enable Hart to open new doors of understanding. He offers a vivid exploration of depression's many faces, its purposeful role, its varied treatment. It is a discussion he believes will unlock the depressed person's "prison of misunderstanding." "It has been my experience in working with many ministers, Christian workers, and their families," writes Hart, "that not only is depression the most common emotional problem, but it is also the most destructive." Hart's writing reveals the touch of a man keenly aware of pastors' pressures, needs, and hurts. In a phone interview, I asked him where he gained his sensitivity. He offered a telling anecdote from his D.Min. classes at Fuller. When he teaches about depression in the ministry, he said "a light goes on" in the pastors' faces and "70 percent of the class says, 'Yes! Depression ...
Like the preview? To read this complete article
and 18,013 more in the archive—JOIN NOW!
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
E-mail this page
