Review of The Depressed Church - An Intimate Portrait

[Jorge Leon Salazar]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Depressed Church - An Intimate Portrait" by Zelphia D. Williams.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Depressed Church - An Intimate Portrait by Zelphia D. Williams is a brief and insightful memoir in which the author recounts her experiences dealing with depression, anxiety, and fear. She is a Christian who attends church regularly. However, there she does not find adequate support to cope with her severe episodes of depression. The hardships in her marriage ended up in divorce and aggravated her situation, adding feelings of guilt and betrayal. The author raises the issue of the occurrence of depression in the churches and expresses that it is more frequent than she thought. Plus, she indicates some think that by being believers and attending church on Sundays they are exempt from experiencing this evil. Zelphia, in the midst of her confusion, wonders if it is a punishment from God, if she has committed some very serious sin, or if she is cursed. However, her faith makes her stand firm in her belief and it ends up being her support to move forward.

This short book is duly organized into thirteen chapters. The writing style is descriptive and direct. The author narrates as if she is talking to the reader, which is what I liked the most about this thoughtful work. In addition to recounting her struggles with depression, she criticizes the little importance given to this problem in the churches. As Zelphia relates her relapses into depression, it makes me feel empathy and solidarity to the point of wishing she would overcome it. The way of telling her fears and crisis makes me reflect on how difficult it is to undergo this condition. Moreover, I consider striking that the author suffers from this disease, despite the fact she had a happy childhood, loving parents, and wonderful siblings.

The author's motivation for writing this book is commendable as she hopes that sharing her testimony will shine a light on the importance of mental health. Zelphia transmits a motivating message to those who suffer from this illness with the intention of letting them know they are not alone on their journey. The book includes a couple of sections of gratitude exercises; one at the beginning and the other at the end, which I found superb since having things and people to be thankful for is inspiring. The author presents her list of things for which she is grateful. She also attaches some citations to psalms and other biblical references that she finds helpful in dealing with depression.

Overall, there was little I disliked about this book. The only criticism is that the religious orientation towards Christianity might decrease its audience and consequently the possibility of aiding others. Indeed, Zelphia posits as a weakness of the churches she has attended the fact that they do not offer specialized help for this type of case.

The subject of depression is alarming and what the author described was poignant and insightful. It caused me a kind of concern for the people close to me who might be enduring it and concealing it under a mask. Undoubtedly, it was a useful and thought-provoking read. I noticed some editing details that did not disturb the enjoyment of reading. Taking into account all the comments, I give The Depressed Church - An Intimate Portrait a rating of four out of four stars.

I recommend this book to those who suffer from depression and to their family or close friends. Equally, it would be appropriate for those who are in a position to assist people with depression, especially in churches.

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The Depressed Church - An Intimate Portrait
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[Paluk Pathania]

I wonder how hard it must be for the author to pen down her own hardships. This book will undoubtedly be a ray of hope for those who are going through the same difficulties as the author did. Thankyou for such a wonderful review!

[Rbbhuncho]

The book is amazing .It really emphasises on the fact that depressed people are not alone.I love it,
Thanks for the review

[collinsogw555]

The title got me to wonder what this book is all about and from the review, this seems to be a good read as it would educate people on how to deal with depression. Thanks for your review.

[ellaiela]

Depression is no joke. It is like a slow-acting poison that eats your sanity away if not treated right away. I appreciate the author's bravery to write this kind of topic and share her experiences on how she overcomes it as I knew that it wasn't an easy journey. Anyways, thank you for the detailed review.

[Ivvie Ivanova]

Sounds like a thought-provoking and important read. It tackles so many perpetual problems and topics that society needs to be better at addressing. Kudos to the author for sharing her hardships and giving people the chance to learn by reading her story. Thank you for your review!

[Joy C]

Depression is real but oftentimes overlooked. And rightly said, religious inclinations are often an excuse to ignore the depressed. I hope this book motivates it's readers and also breeds hope

[isaac chidiebere 1]

This book is amazing in the sense that the author wrote down her own painful ordeals during her depressed state without even relapsing back to it. This truly is a book I would like to read one day. Thanks for the great review.

[John Karanja 1]

People suffering depression should be shown love and better support to their personal issues, and that could bring peace and quieten the depression.