Evangelical Anxiety: A Memoir [9780062862730]

Overview

In this riveting spiritual memoir, the writer, scholar, and commentator tells the story of his struggles with mental illness, explores the void between the Christian faith and scientific treatment, and forges a path toward reconciling these divergent worlds.

For years, Charles Marsh suffered panic attacks and debilitating anxiety. As an Evangelical Christian, he was taught to trust in the power of God and His will. While his Christian community resisted therapy and personal introspection, Marsh eventually knew he needed help. To alleviate his suffering, he made the bold decision to seek medical treatment and underwent years of psychoanalysis. 

In this riveting spiritual memoir, Marsh tells the story of his struggle to find peace and the dramatic, inspiring transformation that redefined his life and his faith. He examines the tensions between faith and science and reflects on how his own experiences offer hope for bridging the gap between the two. Honest and revealing, Marsh traces the roots of shame, examines Christian notions of sex, faith, and mental illness and their genesis, and chronicles how he redefined his beliefs and rebuilt his relationship with his community. 

A poignant and vital story of deep soul work, Evangelical Anxiety helps us look beyond the stigma that leaves too many people in pain and offers people of faith a way forward to find the help they need while remaining true to their beliefs. 

How does a person of deep faith navigate a crisis of the mind when the church itself is suspicious of the cure?

• A Crisis at Harvard Divinity School: The harrowing story of a full-blown panic attack that shattered a young theologian’s world and divided his life into a "before" and "after."
• The Church and The Couch: An inside look at the tension between an evangelical upbringing that distrusts psychology and the life-saving grace found in years of psychoanalysis.
• Purity, Sex, and Shame: A vulnerable examination of how evangelical purity culture shapes desire, embedding a legacy of anxiety and fear that follows believers into adulthood.
• A New Theology of Hope: Forging a new path for people of faith, one that bridges the gap between scientific treatment and spiritual belief without sacrificing either.