A Biblical View of Mental Health (with Chris Adams) [Think Biblically Podcast]

How does a Christian view of mental health compare and contrast with a secular perspective? Are we in a mental health crisis today? And how do we best love our family and friends who are suffering from mental illness. In this video and podcast, Sean and Scott talk with Rosemead Professor Chris Adams about these questions and more. Dr. Adams shares about the new Flourishing in Ministry resource that helps pastors and churches address mental health. See www.flourishinginministry.org.
Rev. Chris Adams, PhD, is a third-generation pastor's kid, ordained minister, clinical psychologist, and certified wellbeing and leadership coach. He has served in pastoral care and counseling roles in a large congregation and a large Christian university. He specializes in the wellbeing of ministerial students, clergy, and their families. Chris currently serves as Professor, Chaplain, and Executive Director of the Mental Health and the Church initiative at Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology, Biola University. Chris teaches pastoral care and counseling, Christian leadership formation, and psychology and Christianity integration courses for Rosemead and several seminaries. Chris is a consultant to numerous denominations and seminaries in the areas of clergy candidate formative evaluation, clergy health and flourishing, and pastoral leadership formation. He is the lead researcher for the Flourishing in Ministry project, and is currently participating as a consultant and researcher with the Duke Clergy Health Initiative. Chris is a frequent lecturer at seminaries, retreats, and conferences. He was awarded the Archibald D. Hart Counseling Pioneer Award for excellence in Research and Scholarship in Training and Educating the Next Generation of Leaders in Mental Health and Caring for Others in 2023.
Download a guide to the Flourishing in Ministry Wellbeing Model at flourishinginm...
Subscribe to the Think Biblically podcast wherever you listen to podcasts: think-biblical...

[@simoncampos3943]

Being brutally honest with ourselves can help us navigate our journey. The peace of Jesus is critical.😊

[@danielbond41]

Facts

[@marylamb6063]

I had severe depression and decided to go to a Chinese doctor who had a reputation for curing hard cases. The first thing she asked me was about my diet. I wasn't surpised. I had known that five foods were behind the depression. But she traced it to bad gut bacteria. She prescribed three courses of antibiotics to kill the bad gut bacteria and the depression was cured. Then I had months of muscle spasms from a back injury. I had very mild depression, but I went back to her to have it completely cured.

[@Patty-rl1hy]

We need to pray 🙏 for the mental health stigmal ❤

[@lindavillani1157]

I have a mental illness and Christian Psychiatry saved my life and functioning through medication and loving truthful spiritual doctors.

I wish I could find more resourses on this subject like books etc. I mean from the Christian perspecive like Chris Adams does here.

[@LaurenFrancesHair]

Read anything by the Martin and diedre bobgan. So eye opening .

[@rebeccahayhurst442]

Excellant conversation and answered a lot of questions for me in mental health.

[@Dirkkkkk]

when it comes to ministering to mental illness, most of us are Job’s friends

[@karenl4543]

Thank you for this podcast & yes I am sharing it. Excellent!!!

[@karenl4543]

Just another reminder of the excellence at Biola & why I’m happy to be a donor!!

[@ThelmaJooste]

See Paul Tripp's explaining - how should a Christian think about mental health. Excellent for me as a mental health care practitioner.

[@phyllisdevonish859]

The Irony is that Church People condemn All Psychiatrists but a good Dr encourages a Spiritual Life

[@margrose5]

@@phyllisdevonish859 Not ALL church people at all.

[@Keepitkind7]

The fact that you're even having this conversation tying sin to mental illness, but not physical illness IS THE STIGMA!

[@margrose5]

Sin is always part of the equation because we live in a fallen world. All illness is a result of the fall and living in an imperfect world. Doesn’t necessarily mean an individual’s mental illness is directly connected to their sin.

[@janetskeatesskeates6010]

How do you explain an innocent baby who has leukemia?

[@phoenragon]

@@janetskeatesskeates6010 They *DO NOT* mean sin as in “this person did something wrong and now they have mental health issues.” They are talking about the spiritual separation of humanity as a whole from God, which happened because of Adam and Eve. Think of sin in this context as an inherited genetic condition and not the cause and effect that a lot of people associate with sin in these discussions.

[@janetskeatesskeates6010]

@phoenragon It is a fact that people will be sympathetic to anyone who has a physical ailment yet DO NOT attach sin to it. When it comes to .mental illness, it is a different ball game altogether. You get treated like a leper. So, for those who think we are monsters, so be it. Judge. At least Jesus loved the lepers too. He healed some.

[@formerfundienowfree4235]

Anyone ever hear of Carl Jung?

[@Keepitkind7]

The brain is part of the body and things can go awry. What's so hard to understand about that? Bipolar is a spiritual problem?, a brain tumor is a medical problem, anxiety-spiritual, demensia-medical, etc., etc. The stigma you allude to is only for those things you don't understand. If medical researchers can show you brains scans in the future, you'd change your tune. If you suffered, you'd know.

[@janetskeatesskeates6010]

Exactly!❤

[@janetskeatesskeates6010]

People who say things like this, are ignorant! They profess to be experts in the field. 😮 May God have mercy on you. Remember that God avenges.

[@janetskeatesskeates6010]

I am so sick of the stigma attached to mental illness. What amazes me is that it is often ignorant MEN who do not understand mental illness! Many Christian women suffer from mental illness and God is using them mightily for his good!❤

[@phyllisdevonish859]

Thinking Happy Thoughts have absolutely Nothing with Mental Health…

[@formerfundienowfree4235]

Again, here is Christianity trying to remain relevant and keep up with the rest of the world and the progress. The secular disciplines are making.

[@joelacona6057]

Boring