A Hell of Mercy - A Meditation on Depression and the Dark Night of the Soul

“{A} welcome addition to the conversation about the thorny relationship between faith, depression and mental illness...appealingly modest and practical, relying not on intractable ideologies but on shared stories and voices of experience.” Informationen zum Autor Tim Farrington is the author of Lizzie's War , The Monk Downstairs ,—a New York Times Notable Book—and The Monk Upstairs , as well as the critically acclaimed novels The California Book of the Dead and Blues for Hannah . Zusammenfassung n this unflinching look at depression and the human struggle to find hope in its midst, acclaimed author Tim Farrington writes with heartrending honesty of his lifelong struggle with the condition he calls "a hell of mercy." With both wry humor and poignancy, he unravels the profound connection between depression and the spiritual path, the infamous dark night of the soul made popular by mystic John of the Cross. While depression can be a heartbreaking time of isolation and lethargy, it can also provide powerful spiritual insights and healing times of surrender. When doctors prescribe medication, patients are often left feeling as if part of their very selves has been numbed in order to become what some might call "normal." Farrington wrestles with profound questions, such as: When is depression a part of your identity, and when does it hold you back from realizing your potential? In the tradition of Darkness Visible and An Unquiet Mind , A Hell of Mercy is both a much needed companion for those walking this difficult terrain as well as a guide for anyone who has watched a loved one grapple with this inner emotional darkness.

Product details

• Authors: Tim Farrington
• Publisher: Harper Collins Usa
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 03.02.2009
• EAN: 9780060825188
• ISBN: 978-0-06-082518-8
• No. of pages: 128
• Dimensions: 147 mm x 194 mm x 15 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Psychology > Theoretical psychology; RELIGION: Christian Theology / Apologetics, SELF-HELP: Personal Growth / Happiness, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Women, NATURE: Essays, PSYCHOLOGY: General, PHILOSOPHY: RELIGION, RELIGION: Christian Living / Spiritual Growth, RELIGION: CHRISTIAN THOUGHT, RELIGION: Spirituality, PHILOSOPHY: Religious, RELIGION: Christian Living / Inspirational, PSYCHOLOGY: CLINICAL, PSYCHOLOGY: Psychopathology / Depression, SELF-HELP: Meditations