Freud Contra Dios Dan G. Blazer

As a Christian medical student interested in psychiatry, I found this book to be very valuable--it's the only recent book I know of that addresses the interface and integration of Christianity and psychiatry. In summary, the book argues that there needs to be a much greater effort to integrate psychiatry and christianity in order to better help the emotionally/mentally ill. Attempts at integration have been virtually absent in recent years. Blazer puts forth his suggestions on where to go from here. I valued several things from this book. First, I valued the histories of psychiatry, psychology, christianity, and the interface between them that he provides. These histories give me a good background and context as I pursue my interest in Christian psychiatry. Second, I value the stories of his patients that he uses to illustrate his points. The stories made much of the abstract concepts discussed more clear and relevant. On the other hand, I had trouble following his discussion at a good number of points along the way. Perhaps they required more of a background in psychiatry for me to understand them. Chapter 2, on the history of the conversation between christianity and psychiatry was particularly tough to get through. Not the easiest read but then again, it's good to be challenged with difficult reads every now and then. I highly recommend the book to christians interested in helping the emotionally/mentally/spiritually ill...