Freud vs. God

Rating:
Summary: Valuable contribution, difficult read at times
Review: 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...

Rating:
Summary: Flawed by the author's spiritual immaturity.
Review: The book relates the history of mental health techniques over the past 200 years, including the primitive and unscientific application of such pseudo-scientific modes of "healing" as lobotomies and electro-shock; it then focuses it's attention on the new "wonder treatment" of psycho-pharmacology - "better thinking through chemistry." The major defect of "christian psychiatrist" Blazer is that he fails to completely research those he quotes. Although the book is well researched, he neglects to give us the latest historical research on figures of note in his chosen field. For instance, it has taken us 100 years to learn that Freud was a cocaine addict who treated his patients with cocaine to their detriment; that Jung was an occultist for the major length of his life, was an influence in Nazi occult theory, and who only returned to a somewhat traditional Christian belief system in his later years in a sort of "deathbed conversion". Dr. Blazer, while admitting his own spiritual difficulties, does not acknowledge that some of his most treasured concepts are those of people who had their own very serious spiritual difficulties during the periods of their lives when they concocted those very theories. In short, the book is a juvenile attempt at catharsis for this aged practicioner of the discredited pseudo-science of psychiatry, in which he tries to balance his own "hot-tub religion" with his personal admission of the failures of his professional life as a psychiatrist. It is doubtful that he succeeds in his personal quest to wash away the guilt he exhibits throughout the work. It surely represents another presentation of the modern coalition of pop-spirituality with pop-psychology!