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Hart-to-Heart Talks
Most church leaders struggle from time to time with how to take care of themselves emotionally and spiritually. Often church leaders are reluctant to get help or just don’t know where to find the right kind of help. If someone goes to the average bookstore, he or she may find books somewhat therapeutic but not written from a Christian worldview. If you want real help that respects the Bible and the church, then you need to get acquainted with Dr. Archibald Hart.
Hart is a popular professor of psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary. He was formerly dean of the School of Psychology and for a time was in private practice in his homeland, South Africa. He is the author of countless articles and is a popular guest on the Focus on the Family radio program hosted by Dr. James Dobson. He is just as much at home at a professional meeting or a church service. He readily communicates in both worlds.
A good general introduction to Hart’s insights is his book Habits of the Mind. This book covers a wide variety of subjects and discusses how to change our feelings by changing our thinking. If you want a bit of a pep talk that will generally help you feel better—this is the book to read. It covers many of the problems people struggle with such as guilt, perfectionism, anxiety, and depression. It is available from Word Publishing.
If you are struggling with fear, anxiety, or phobias, you can learn much from Hart’s book Overcoming Anxiety. This book does not totally discount the role medication can play, but it gives you other insights and strategies to defeat fear. Hart does us the service of respecting our intelligence through a helpful discussion of how the brain works. His strongest advice comes in the section on stress. A particular emphasis of Hart’s is our need for a good night’s sleep. He shows how we can minister to ourselves. This book is also available from Word.
Some years ago, through Focus on the Family, Hart produced a very helpful book on depression titled Dark Clouds, Silver Linings. The bad news is that the book is out of print. The good news is that an online edition is available free of charge on the Internet. Just go to www.ccel.us. On that site you will find a library of out-of-print Christian books. Click on the AUTHOR and TITLE button and find Hart’s book there (along with many other helpful books). Dark Clouds, Silver Linings deals with the causes and treatments of depression from a Christian perspective. Hart closes the book with profiles of well-known church leaders who have overcome depression.
One of Hart’s great gifts is his ability to help you without making you feel like a terrible Christian because you struggle with some of these problems. Reading Hart gives you a picture of what a Christian counselor ought to be. Since you can’t have a personal session with him, these books are the next best thing.
Mike Shannon is dean at Cincinnati (Ohio) Bible Seminary.
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