RT Article
T1 Preaching Wholeness: Attending to Mental Health in Preaching Ministries
JF Religions
VO 15
IS 4
A1 Mumford, Debra J. ca. 20./21. Jh.
LA English
PB MDPI
YR 2024
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/188431922X
AB “Wilt thou be made whole?” This is a question posed by Jesus in the Gospels. Wholeness for Jesus means being in right relationship with God and in right relationship with other human beings. Wholeness can also be defined as completeness or well-being. This essay argues that preaching ministries committed to addressing the total well-being of all of God’s people must include sermons about mental health. As evidence of the need, the author cites statistics from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that at least one in four people in the United States is affected by mental illness directly or indirectly during their lifetime. Then, to equip preachers to address mental health concerns, the author: addresses the causes of mental health stigma both in and beyond the pulpit; shares theological and hermeneutical approaches and concerns of disability proposed by the theologians Nancy Eiesland and John Swinton and homiletician Kathy Black; and provides resources for preachers to use in their preaching.
K1 preaching wholeness
K1 disability theology
K1 Mental Illness
K1 Mental Health
DO 10.3390/rel15040393