Title | Toward a Theology of Mental Illness |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2012 |
Authors | Webb, M |
Journal Title | Journal of Religion, Disability & Health |
Volume | 16 |
Pages | 49–73 |
ISSN | 1522-8967 |
Abstract | This article considers research describing religious attitudes toward mental illness, including assumptions that mental illness may be evidence of personal sin or demonic influence. These assumptions are critiqued based upon a review of relevant Scriptural passages. A reformulation of theological conceptions of mental illness is then proposed, focusing on the following themes: heroism in frailty, freedom in finitude, complexity in disorder, and the stranger in our midst. In conclusion, the article offers potential implications of theologies describing a passable God for an understanding of human suffering in general, and the suffering in mental disorder in particular. |
URL | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15228967.2012.645608 |
DOI | 10.1080/15228967.2012.645608 |
Add new comment