Reviews

"[The second edition] incorporates updated research and adds anecdotal and pastoral commentary as well as a foreword by the current Archbishop of Canterbury. . . . I would recommend this book to any Christian touched in any way by mental illness. Given that one in five Americans has a mental health problem, it is likely that all Christians should read this book. It is time to end the stigmatizing misconception that mental illness does not exist in the Church and that a Christian's mental illness is a sign of their distance from God. In addressing the stigma, God's people can get help in their pain. A strength of Darkness is Greene-McCreight's commitment to make sense of her mental illness in the light of the truth of Scripture and to wrestle as a person of faith with bipolar disorder."

Karen Mason,

Africanus Journal

"Darkness Is My Only Companion is an academic dream text. Authored by Kathryn Greene-McCreight, a three-time Yale grad, this often-heady text is colored with the retelling of her manic-depressive episodes in an incredibly intimate, down-to-earth way. In this expanded edition, Greene-McCreight mixes her two polar opposite writing styles into one fascinating academic argument about God's interpretation of the illnesses of the mind. . . . Priceless in its description, often shocking in its bold reality, and brave beyond most self-help authors' ability. . . . . Darkness Is My Only Companion should be mandatory reading for theologians across the board as well as students of the mind. This book might change your ideas about mental illness."

Michelle Lovato,

CBA Retailers + Resources

"A new 'Afterword' is particularly helpful, as the author reflects on the book, her own story, and feedback from readers. . . . Readers who have experienced mental illness will resonate with her story. . . . Readers who love those who struggle and do not know how to help will find her story illuminating. . . . Readers who enjoy biblical and theological exegesis and application will appreciate the profundity of her insights into the biblical text. . . . Readers who have no experience with those who struggle with mental illness should read this book to develop compassion for those who do. . . . This book is highly recommended. The author's pain and struggle are made palpable to the reader, which builds sympathy and compassion for the ill. Her faith and endurance are a model to follow, her honesty and vulnerability are humbling, her love for God and his people are encouraging, her love for Scripture is moving, and her relationship with her family and the church are quite clearly deep and passionate. Thank you, Kathryn, for having the courage to tell your story and to allow readers to walk with you in the darkness in hope of the resurrection."

Glenn R. Kreider,

Bibliothea Sacra

"This is a deeply thoughtful book. Practical theology at its best. . . . I appreciate Greene-McCreight's advice on how to walk alongside those who suffer (and when to enlist more help!). I think this should be required reading for anyone doing pastoral work. I give this four stars."

James Matichuk,

Thoughts, Prayers, and Songs blog

Praise for the First Edition

One of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Religion Books of the Year for 2006

"By means of personal story, theological reflection and practical suggestions for caregivers, Greene-McCreight takes readers into her mind as she plunges from frantic ecstasy . . . to profound despair. . . . With firm but never facile faith, she offers hope to Christians with mental illness and understanding to those who live and work with them."

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Theologically sound and medically astute, this is a safe guide for those who battle the darkness of mental illness and for those who care about them. As a bonus blessing, the book is deeply moving and wrapped in a package of delightful prose. Greene-McCreight, an Episcopal priest, does what is so desperately needed in our therapeutic society--she practices psychotherapy under the authority of Scripture. A careful theologian, fully committed to the authority of Scripture, yet the beneficiary of healing therapy with an astonishingly wide and deep understanding of the field, the author weds the two convincingly. This is not a mere academic treatise, however. The author invites us to join her in a journey through her own darkness, opening every shadowed corner of her soul, yet without a trace of the maudlin."

Robertson McQuilkin,

Christianity Today

"This thoughtful and engaging book addresses the fissure between medical and theological responses to mental illness. . . . The style remains simple and accessible to lay people and clergy, even though the questions raise perennially challenging theological puzzles. . . . Greene-McCreight draws connections well worth further consideration by theologians, pastoral care providers, and those in the midst of despair. . . . Readers who know, directly or indirectly, the desperation of mental illness will be grateful for both the useful information and the demonstration that questions about God and therapy can fit together in one conversation. . . . Greene-McCreight offers the church a generous gift with this book of facts and faith, pain and hope, and powerful witness to the presence of God, even and especially in the depths of darkness."

Margaret B. Adam,

Anglican Theological Review

"[A] sensitive and profound work. . . . Interweaving her account with apt quotations from Scripture and Christian classics, [Greene-McCreight] candidly describes her illness, her brushes with suicide, her treatment (successful at last), and her family's support throughout the ordeal. The specificity and honesty of her narrative are remarkable. . . . Greene-McCreight speaks from deep experience as she describes ways in which worship, the sacraments, healing prayer, and the Christian community supported her when she was paralyzed with mental pain. But she is most eloquent when she simply describes the times when nothing at all seemed to help, and acknowledges that Christians suffer these times and need to talk about them honestly. The last two chapters offer sensitive advice to people who want to help--family, friends, and pastors in particular. . . . All of her observations are grounded in Scripture and the Christian tradition, and offer hope and help to the increasing number of Christians who recognize that her story is theirs as well."

L. P. Fairfield,

Touchstone

"[The author] writes for all of us. All of us either experience firsthand mental illness (major depression, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, and so forth) or know of someone who does. . . . The author powerfully and knowledgeably weaves strands of Scripture and prayers throughout her writing . . . . Part 3, Living with Mental Illness . . . by itself deserves a place on the pastor's library shelf."

Rozanne Meyer Bruins,

Calvin Theological Journal

"[Greene-McCreight's] book is a blast of cool water on a hot day. Bursting with wisdom, experience, learning, holiness, lament, mystery--there are riches aplenty. A fine piece of pastoral theology, this book is immersed in Scripture. We find a deeply Christian woman facing difficult existential questions with honesty and courage. . . . This book is accessible to lay readers and should be read carefully, meditatively, and prayerfully."

Hans Madueme,

Trinity Journal

"Using accessible and at times poetic language, Greene-McCreight renders both the pain of depression and the highs of mania exquisitely real. For that reason alone, this book is to be recommended. An additional reason is the ample use of Scripture, particularly the Psalms, as well as the Book of Common Prayer and the writings of classical Christian thinkers, interspersed throughout the text. . . . [Greene-McCreight] addresses timely and relevant issues for the depressed Christian such as the dark night of the soul, the relation of health and prayer, and the relation of brain, mind, and soul. . . . [The book] giv[es] great insight into a believer's struggle with mental illness."

Susan J. Dunlap,

Interpretation

"[Greene-McCreight] has done Christians a service by telling her story of clinical depression. . . . [She] gives good reasons to pursue therapy and not to hesitate to gain help from secular counselors, since God may certainly use them as He does Christian therapists. This book is highly recommended for pastors, Christian counselors, and laypeople alike. It is a reawakening for those who think that Christianity is a shield from problems and especially those difficulties brought on by mental illness. Reading it will assist those who minister to people who suffer from depression (and other mental illnesses) with greater understanding and compassion."

Jason Neill with Glenn R. Kreider,

Bibliotheca Sacra

"[Greene-McCreight] has produced a resource helpful both for pastoral and personal use. Weighted with much challenging perception, the book plunges deeply into theological, philosophical, and practical territory, and so can serve in bringing Scripture to bear on the psychological and psychiatric realities encountered in North American pastoral ministry. . . . Drawing from her journals, Greene-McCreight convincingly leads the reader into the darkness she experienced. . . . She pauses to illumine the current terminology and pharmacology of treatment, a helpful 'crash course' for the pastor or other reader interested in helping the mentally ill. . . . This is an articulate guidebook to one person's descent into mental illness and her eventual hope of stability."

Lon Gregg,

Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society