Jesus The Village Psychiatrist

Imagine Imagine someone with a mind so healthy that he doesn’t need to see a psychiatrist. Ever. Yet that person runs the gauntlet of taunting, mockery and false accusations. People turn against him. Friends disown and desert him. He stands alone. Amazingly, two thousand years after his death, the taunts still fly. Films and books appear with fresh accusations and oh-so-convincing arguments. How can this man be discredited and silenced for once and for all? More to the point, can he? As psychiatrists, we need to speak up. Enough is enough. Shadow us as we examine what we believe to be the most fascinating mind in all of history. Dare you imagine a different reality? And what will this mean in practice? Jesus had greater influence than any other person who ever lived. Yet atheistic detractors often portray him as insane or deranged. Claims gather momentum. Often they are left unchallenged. Is there any basis for such claims? The authors, respected psychiatrists, consider Jesus's words, actions and teaching, and use fascinating insights from psychiatry to make an assessment. We need confidence to weigh up the evidence and reach robust conclusions. The authors enable us to articulate a strong defence of Jesus's mental health. They help us dispel doubts, affirm our faith and present a captivating portrait of Jesus. Foreword by John Lennox Part 1 Showing that Jesus was not mentally ill 1 The mind of Christ through a psychiatrist's eye 2 Out of his mind - was Jesus psychotic? 3 A man of sorrows - did Jesus suffer from any other mental disorder? Part 2 Showing that Jesus had a health mind, proved by the coherence of his words and deeds 4 The test of his character - and the crowds were amazed 5 The test of a consistent life - what evil has he done? I find no crime in him 6 The test of meaningful relationships - encounters that transformed lives 7 The test of adversity - lessons without words in suffering 8 The test of influence - his power to change people Epilogue The test of his claims - who do you say I am?

Dr Hodges believes the humanity of Jesus has been neglected. He has fashioned a format in which Jesus answers intimate questions about the details of his life, including some not recorded in the Gospels. For example, what would Mary have told Jesus the child about the incarnation?

Bible and Bedlam first critically questions the exclusion and stereotyping of certain biblical characters and scholars perceived as 'mad', as such judgements illustrate the 'sanism' (prejudice against individuals who are diagnosed or perceived as mentally ill) perpetuated within the discipline of Western biblical studies. Second, it seeks to highlight the widespread ideological 'gatekeeping' - 'protection' and 'policing' of madness in both western history and scholarship - with regard to celebrated biblical figures, including Jesus and Paul. Third, it initiates creative exchanges between biblical texts, interpretations and contemporary voices from 'mad' studies and sources (autobiographies, memoirs etc.), which are designed to critically disturb, disrupt and displace commonly projected (and often pejorative) assumptions surrounding 'madness'. Voices of those subject to diagnostic labelling such as autism, schizophrenia and/or psychosis are among those juxtaposed here with selected biblical interpretations and texts.

- Applicable not just to those with mental health issues, but for churches and the church at large

This book puts psychiatrist/priest Fulghum solidly in the company of Soren Kierkegaard, Irvin Yalom, and (I would add) Ernest Becker: existential realists with indomitable faith. Jesus issued two orders to those he called. The first was Come! The second was, Go!This little book does what Jesus did, again and again. Fulghums candid humanity beckons us to come, to recognize ourselves both more deeply and (briefly) more comfortably. And he sends us out relentlessly. This book is risky. Deep insight is not only a personal pleasureit rapidly emerges as responsibility. The Rev. Canon Gray Temple Retired Rector, St. Patricks Episcopal Church, Atlanta. Charles has put together an anthology of his sermons that promises to deliver perhaps one of the most unique perspectives in Episcopal preaching. Having listened in the pews to many of Charles sermons I can promise that the reader will not only be entertained but will discover God found living betwixt and between moral psychiatry, existentialism and medical science. In the best of the Episcopal tradition Charles makes us think about God in relevant and thought provoking ways by reminding us that our stories are part of of a much bigger narrative. > > >The Rev. Lang Lowrey, President, General Seminary

This book addresses the fact that Americans tend to live under a considerable amount of stress, tension, and anxiety, and suggests that humor can be helpful in alleviating their distress. It posits that humor is a useful placebo in this regard; cites studies that show that humor moderates life stress; considers the relationship of religion and humor, especially as means to alleviate anxiety; proposes that Jesus had a sense of humor; suggests that his parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard has humorous implications for the relief of occupational stress; explores the relationship of gossip and humor; and suggests that Jesus and his disciples were a joking community. It concludes that Jesus viewed the kingdom of God as a worry-free existence.