Evangelical Anxiety

In this riveting spiritual memoir, the writer, scholar, and commentator tells the story of his struggles with mental illness, explores the void between the Christian faith and scientific treatment, and forges a path toward reconciling these divergent worlds.

For years, Charles Marsh suffered panic attacks and debilitating anxiety. As an Evangelical Christian, he was taught to trust in the power of God and His will. While his Christian community resisted therapy and personal introspection, Marsh eventually knew he needed help. To alleviate his suffering, he made the bold decision to seek medical treatment and underwent years of psychoanalysis.

In this riveting spiritual memoir, Marsh tells the story of his struggle to find peace and the dramatic, inspiring transformation that redefined his life and his faith. He examines the tensions between faith and science and reflects on how his own experiences offer hope for bridging the gap between the two. Honest and revealing, Marsh traces the roots of shame, examines Christian notions of sex, faith, and mental illness and their genesis, and chronicles how he redefined his beliefs and rebuilt his relationship with his community.

A poignant and vital story of deep soul work, Evangelical Anxiety helps us look beyond the stigma that leaves too many people in pain and offers people of faith a way forward to find the help they need while remaining true to their beliefs.

This honest account explores the painful and profound questions at the intersection of faith and mental health:

• An Evangelical Upbringing: An inside look at the pressures and piety of being a preacher's kid in the Jim Crow South, where faith was fierce and questions were dangerous.
• A Crisis of the Mind: A raw, unflinching account of the onset of debilitating panic attacks, and the terrifying realization that prayer alone wasn't enough.
• The Stigma of Therapy: Marsh navigates a Christian community that views psychology with suspicion, making the courageous choice to seek psychoanalysis against the grain of his tradition.
• Reconciling Two Worlds: A thoughtful exploration of the tensions between faith and science, offering a hopeful path for Christians to embrace modern mental healthcare without abandoning their beliefs.