Finding Jesus in the Storm (John Swinton) -- A Review

 

FINDING JESUS IN THE STORM: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges. By John Swinton. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2020. Xi + 233 pages.

                Being that I am a pastor, I've encountered many persons who face mental health challenges. Most likely we all have friends and family members who have dealt with mental health challenges. It’s quite likely most of us have dealt with some level of mental health concern at some point in our lives. It might be short term, but it was there. Yet, we find it difficult to talk about such things. Indeed, even the church is not considered a safe place to openly share our concerns. So why is that? We talk about cancer, often in great detail, but for some reason, we continue to stigmatize mental health concerns.

                With these questions in mind, we have before us John Swinton’s book Finding Jesus in the Storm. Swinton is a professor of practical theology and pastoral care at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.  Before becoming a minister and professor, he spent time as a psychiatric nurse. Thus, he has experienced working with persons facing these concerns both inside and outside the church. What he offers here is a pathway between a simple scientific perspective (just diagnose and treat accordingly) and one that rejects science in favor of a purely religious response (prayer heals all). While affirming the value of both psychiatric diagnoses and medication as a response to mental health challenges, he wants to broaden the conversation to highlight the value of faith in the healing process.

                It’s important that I take note of Swinton’s use of the phrase "mental health challenges" rather than "mental illness" in the title of the book and throughout the book itself. He does this for several reasons, one of which is the tendency to treat mental health issues as a disease that simply requires diagnosis (using DSM-V) and medication (and in some cases hospitalization). The message he wants to send in the book is that "'mental illness' is not like measles" (p. 29). That is, mental illness cannot be fully explained biologically. It may have a biological basis, but perhaps not. In writing this book he seeks to address the tendency to reduce everything to biology, which tends to ignore the spiritual dimension of such experiences.

                The book itself is divided into five parts. Part one includes chapters on "redescribing the world of 'Mental Illness" and “resurrecting phenomenology." In the latter chapter, he wants to move from thin descriptions to thick ones, allowing for broader interpretations of people's mental health challenges. That is, in resurrecting phenomenology, one can move beyond simple explanation to interpretation and meaning. Part two focuses on "redescribing diagnosis." The one chapter that makes up this section is titled "taking our meds faithfully." Again, Swinton wants to move beyond simple diagnosis and medication, which involves treating everything as if it is simply biological.

                The first two parts of the book provide the foundation for Swinton's next step and that is to address three mental health concerns. Part Three focuses on "Redescribing Depression." Here is where Swinton may prove challenging to some who want to always focus on moving those with depression into a positive frame of mind. Instead, Swinton draws upon the value of lament, especially as seen in the Psalms. He brings lament into conversation with joy, noting that joy is not necessarily the same thing as happiness. I will note that Swinton has given me a broader understanding of depression by pointing out that depression isn't the same thing as sadness. Depression is about "antifeeling." In my conversations with persons with depression that makes great sense. It's not that they are sad. It's that they are numb. Thus, joy isn’t necessarily happiness but is resistance against despair. It is in this context that he devotes a chapter to finding God in darkness. He writes that “feeling God’s abandonment is a disorienting aspect of being with God; it is deeply entangled with our discipleship, not apart from it. Strange as it may seem in some respects, darkness and feelings of God’s abandonment are actually normal aspects of a biblical spirituality and what it means to be in the presence of a God who sometimes hides” (p. 115).

                While he deals with depression in Part III, he turns in Part IV to Schizophrenia. The section is titled "hearing voices." In these chapters, he seeks to offer a deeper explanation and interpretation of schizophrenia that goes deeper than simple diagnosis and treatment. He notes too that one is not a schizophrenic. One experiences schizophrenia. In his effort to avoid reductionism, he points out the religious dimensions of hearing voices and how this could be understood spiritually. In addition, he points out how schizophrenia is interpreted in different cultural contexts. In fact, in both the spiritual and cultural contexts, schizophrenia could be seen as a gift rather than a stigma. Finally, in Part Five, he writes about bipolar disorder. Again, he seeks a deeper, broader interpretation that goes beyond mere diagnosis and medication. I found these three sections of the book not only informative but enlightening. I have a better sense of the experiences of these challenges and understand why it’s time to move beyond the stigmas.

                In his conclusion, Swinton focuses on healing. In doing so he points out the difference between healing and curing. Healing can take many forms and involves different approaches. He notes that biblically the closest thing to healing is shalom, which involves being in the right relationship with God. Thus, "to be healthy is to be in right relationship with God regardless of one's physical and psychological state." (p. 206). He writes further that "shalom is abundant life; it is what enables us to hold on to Jesus in the midst of the storms. Mental health, biblically speaking, is not defined by the presence or absence of 'symptoms.' Psychological distress is therefore not a sign of the absence of God. It is perfectly possible to be with Jesus even in the midst of deep distress." (p. 206).

                I believe that Swinton’s Finding Jesus in the Storm will be helpful to anyone called to minister with/to persons with mental health challenges, whether they are a counselor, psychiatrist, clergy, or some other form of a caregiver. He offers us a look at mental health challenges without being reductive. He affirms the value of diagnosis/medication but urges us to not limit our responses to this form of response. I think it can also prove helpful to persons who experience mental health concerns, helping them know that they are not alone and that their experiences do not mean that God has abandoned them. One thing that does sadden me as I read the book is the reminder that we still stigmatize mental health issues in our culture. That includes the church. To admit, for instance, that one suffers from depression or bipolar disorder can easily lead to the loss of jobs and exclusion from the faith community. I know, as a pastor, that there are people who seem fine on the surface that struggle with these challenges. I also know that they rarely if ever feel comfortable/safe enough to share this reality in the context of the church. They may share with me or one or two other trusted persons, but never with a larger group. Again, they don’t feel safe. If or no other reason, this is an important book for those who are called to leadership in the church.