Birthmarks

Rating:
Summary: Strange combination of religion and therapy.
Review: Summary:
The title of the book, Birthmarks, is in reference to the negative influences that parents and grandparents can have on children. Combining some elements of family therapy (family systems theory) and Christianity, the authors try to explain how to become a transition person that breaks the bad habits that get passed through generations.

My Comments:
I have no idea where I got this book, but it may have been during my occult book collection days thinking it was actually about physical birthmarks. Anyway, I read the book in a couple of hours on a lazy Saturday and it's not very good.

The first major problem is the attempt to integrate Christianity and therapy. Perhaps it is possible, but this book certainly doesn't make a good case for it. The attempts are sporadic and the majority are attempts to apply therapeutic analyses to Bible stories. The authors meticulously apply the idea of Birthmarks to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in what can only be called a bizarre analysis. At one point I thought I had actually seen 'the light' of what the authors were trying to do... Put the blame on someone else (Satan = parents) and look to God and the Bible for the solution. I do agree with some elements of Freudian psychoanalysis and the basic idea of the book isn't a bad idea, but I just can't buy the connection to religion. If they had kept religion out of the book it would have been better.

The book also repeatedly advocates traditional gender roles, though they probably aren't trying to. All of the references and inferences are kind of indirect, but work to the same effect nonetheless.

The organization doesn't really makes sense. The beginning and ending are okay, but the middle seems to wander, as though they were just trying to fill it up to make this a book instead of a pamphlet. (This comes across even stronger because they use a 14 size font; it's huge.)

Amidst all of the religious hoopla, I did think the point they made about taking care of yourself first is a good idea. I'm no expert, but it certainly seems that you can't change anyone else, so your focus should probably on yourself. Also, their definition of empowerment was pretty good: the responsibility and opportunity for those who have power to release it to others so that they may become equals.

Overall, the book doesn't reveal anything new as therapy goes and the attempts to integrate Freudian psychotherapy with religion definitely don't work (especially considering Freud's view of religion). Perhaps, however, the book would be useful for those religious people that believe religion is the solution to everything and see no value to psychology and therapy. Perhaps if you are looking for a book that combines religion and therapy this will work for you. If you are more interested in a self-help book that has nothing to do with religion - look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Strange combination of religion and therapy.
Review: Summary:
The title of the book, Birthmarks, is in reference to the negative influences that parents and grandparents can have on children. Combining some elements of family therapy (family systems theory) and Christianity, the authors try to explain how to become a transition person that breaks the bad habits that get passed through generations.

My Comments:
I have no idea where I got this book, but it may have been during my occult book collection days thinking it was actually about physical birthmarks. Anyway, I read the book in a couple of hours on a lazy Saturday and it's not very good.

The first major problem is the attempt to integrate Christianity and therapy. Perhaps it is possible, but this book certainly doesn't make a good case for it. The attempts are sporadic and the majority are attempts to apply therapeutic analyses to Bible stories. The authors meticulously apply the idea of Birthmarks to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in what can only be called a bizarre analysis. At one point I thought I had actually seen 'the light' of what the authors were trying to do... Put the blame on someone else (Satan = parents) and look to God and the Bible for the solution. I do agree with some elements of Freudian psychoanalysis and the basic idea of the book isn't a bad idea, but I just can't buy the connection to religion. If they had kept religion out of the book it would have been better.

The book also repeatedly advocates traditional gender roles, though they probably aren't trying to. All of the references and inferences are kind of indirect, but work to the same effect nonetheless.

The organization doesn't really makes sense. The beginning and ending are okay, but the middle seems to wander, as though they were just trying to fill it up to make this a book instead of a pamphlet. (This comes across even stronger because they use a 14 size font; it's huge.)

Amidst all of the religious hoopla, I did think the point they made about taking care of yourself first is a good idea. I'm no expert, but it certainly seems that you can't change anyone else, so your focus should probably on yourself. Also, their definition of empowerment was pretty good: the responsibility and opportunity for those who have power to release it to others so that they may become equals.

Overall, the book doesn't reveal anything new as therapy goes and the attempts to integrate Freudian psychotherapy with religion definitely don't work (especially considering Freud's view of religion). Perhaps, however, the book would be useful for those religious people that believe religion is the solution to everything and see no value to psychology and therapy. Perhaps if you are looking for a book that combines religion and therapy this will work for you. If you are more interested in a self-help book that has nothing to do with religion - look elsewhere.