Christians Get Depressed Too

Well-written for the non-professional; intensely practical. Good advice on what to say/do for friends and loved ones suffering from depression. Short enough to stick to the primary things; well documented enough to point you to resources to take you deeper should you want to go there. Think of this as an intro (101) course ... or a course for non-professionals.

Very small and quick read. David Murray is a professor at Puritan Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. If you ever go to visit him, you won't regret it. Grand Rapids is the beautiful side of Michigan. Go in the Fall. Even if David can't fit you into his schedule the colors will make your trip worth it. :)

Now to the book. I appreciate this little volume. I would rename it "A Christians guide to depression: A call for balance". I really think this is the heart of brother Murray's work here. To call out some folks who have taken extreme views of depression ("medicate it all away!" on one pole and "It's all in your sinful head!" on the other) and then offer a balanced approach to the subject.

Now, having said that I need to mention something that I struggled with from this book. Namely, the author's presentation of Jay Adams' position on depression (its causes and cures). I was introduced to Adams' work a few years ago and I can't get enough of him so I admit I may be a bit biased here since I have been so tremendously helped by his books and I also have not read everything he has written but I really do not think that Adams' position on depression is really accurately and fully represented in Christians get depressed too. Jay says in almost all of his books that problems (like depression and others) are absolutely not always caused by sin. He very often throws that disclaimer out and refers his readers to both the entire book of Job and the man born blind in John 9 as the key examples of this truth.

Murray references Jay's account of working in a mental institution in his book Competent to Counsel and seems to deduce from this that Adams started formulating his position on depression upon this experience. I don't think this is a fair assessment of Adams. Adams is one of the church's strongest proponents of drawing all theological positions from properly exegeted Scripture and he is committed in all of his books to faithful practice of this position. To argue that because Jay drew from experience with depressed people to then talk about depression is not to conclude he let his experience formulate his position.

I think giving Adams a full hearing in more or all of his books would prove my point. I'm not doubting Murray's motives or intent here. I think he's done a great service in this book. I would just call the reader to dig into Adams work yourself and not conclude that somehow Adams is a dangerous or outdated author or teacher basing your conclusions on only what you find in Christians get depressed too.

The perfect book to give to someone who is depressed or if you know someone who is depressed.

Very helpful to a lay person to deal with depression.

Although I have never suffered from depression, like you, I interact with people who are or have been depressed. Since that is the case, I felt reading a short biblically-based book (128 pages) about depression was something I should do. Christians Get Depressed Too is written by Dr. Murray, an Old Testament and theology professor at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. I have greatly benefited from Dr. Murray's HeadHeartHand blog as well as his resources, How Sermons Work and God's Technology, and now I can add Christians Get Depressed Too to that list. Christians Get Depressed Too is organized in the following manner:

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: The Crisis

Chapter 2: The Complexity

Chapter 3: The Condition

Chapter 4: The Causes

Chapter 5: The Cures

Chapter 6: The Caregivers

Appendix: On the Sufficiency of Scripture: Salvation, Sanctification, and Spectacles

Dr. Murray provides a very compassionate view of depression. We must understand that people from all walks of life can and do suffer from depression and at varying degrees. Everyone's mental, physical, or spiritual state must be examined carefully. This includes Christians. Dr. Murray may not be a doctor or psychologist, but the contents of this book are supported by those who are. Dr. Murray has had to communicate with a countless number of depressed people, and he offers practical advice and encouragement. If you are wanting books about depression that are more in depth, the last chapter contains a list of recommendations. If you are depressed, prone to depression, or know of someone that suffers from depression, I believe Dr. Murray's book can provide you some useful information and perhaps a level of comfort.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5