In January, I spoke at the annual meeting of the Society for Christian Ethics by the invitation of my friend and colleague Grace Y. Kao. I’m not an ethicist. I’m a philosophical theologian. I specialize in thinking and writing about what people believe. I’m particularly interested in how our beliefs mesh the ways we understand…
It’s a fairly common idea. Because most of us try to understand unmerited suffering. Deep down (or not so deep down), most of us are okay with the suffering of people we think of as “bad” or “immoral.” We can even make peace when suffering seems to be the natural result of a poor decision….
I had surgery last week. Technically, it was not surgery; it was a “procedure.” But if I’m not conscious, there’s an IV and you’re giving me schedule 2 narcotics for pain, I’m calling it surgery. Just to let you know, I’m fine. But I want to tell you about it because I’m angry. I had…
This Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m interviewing Wizdom Powell Hammond, Assistant Professor of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I met Wizdom Powell years ago at a conference. We quickly realized that we had several friends in common, and we starting chatting about work in…
Most churches could do a lot more to support people who live with mental illnesses. Many Christian teachings link health, wealth and faith in ways that can make anyone having a bad day feel like God has abandoned them. This feels all the more injurious to someone living with a mental-health challenge. This becomes particularly…
As I came to accept that depression would be a part of life, I started to read about strategies for living successfully with depression. I connected with various advocacy organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), Mental Health America (MHA). I read the latest data and research –…
“Are your prayers different? Now that you’ve been healed,” my partner asked me one morning. “What?” I really didn’t know what he was talking about. He explained: “I mean, you were depressed. But since our daughter’s birth, you haven’t been. No meds. No sadness. It’s a miracle!” In a way, he was right. The sadness,…
Depression is lying. Not all the time, but … well … a lot of the time. Because most people don’t want to hear more than “Fine,” when they ask: “How are you?” I lied throughout my pregnancy. The questions were generally the same: How are you? Aren’t you excited? Isn’t this great?! People were prepared…
Even I ask myself: How can someone who lives with depression like such a depressing time of the church year? Lent is my favorite liturgical season. I’m not exactly sure why. I did and did not grow up understanding that many Christian churches follow something called a church calendar. My early years were spent in…
I like memoirs. In fact, when I have the time, I read them voraciously. Because I need them. I need to know someone else’s story to better know my own. I need to know that someone else, somewhere, has experienced some part of what I am living. Has experienced it and come out on the…
Dr. Monica A. Coleman is an award-winning scholar, writer, and minister dedicated to the intersections of faith, social justice, and transformation. Through speaking, consulting, and writing, she empowers individuals and organizations to navigate change with purpose and integrity.
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