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Many Forms of Madness: A Family's Struggle With Mental Illness And The Mental Health System
In telling the story of her son's thirty-year struggle with schizophrenia, Ruether lays bare the inhumane treatment throughout history of people with mental illness. Despite countless reforms by idealistic reformers and an enlightened understanding that mental illness is a physical disease like any other, conditions for people who struggle with mental illness are little improved. Ruether asks why this is so and then goes on to imagine what we would do for people with mental illness if we really cared.
- GenresNonfiction
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2009
2 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Rosemary Radford Ruether
85 books58 followersVisiting Professor of Feminist Theology B.A. Scripps College; M.S., Ph.D., Claremont Graduate School
Rosemary Radford Ruether was the Carpenter Emerita Professor of Feminist Theology at Pacific School of Religion and the GTU, as well as the Georgia Harkness Emerita Professor of Applied Theology at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She had enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a scholar, teacher, and activist in the Roman Catholic Church, and was well known as a groundbreaking figure in Christian feminist theology.
Education
B.A. – Scripps College
M.S., Ph.D. – Claremont Graduate School
Recent Publications / Achievements
Christianity and Social Systems: Historical Constructions and Ethical Challenges (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2009)
Catholic Does Not Equal the Vatican: A Vision for Progressive Catholicism (New Press, 2008)
America, Amerikkka: Elect Nation and Imperial Violence(Equinox, 2007)
Encyclopedia of Women And Religion in North America, with Rosemary Skinner Keller (Indiana University Press, 2006)
Goddesses and the Divine Feminine: A Western Religious History (University of California Press, 2005)
Integrating Ecofeminism, Globalization, and World Religions(Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2005)
Mountain Sisters: From Convent To Community In Appalachia, Forward (University Press of Kentucky, 2004)
The Wrath of Jonah: The Crisis of Religious Nationalism in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Fortress Press, 2002
Rosemary Radford Ruether was the Carpenter Emerita Professor of Feminist Theology at Pacific School of Religion and the GTU, as well as the Georgia Harkness Emerita Professor of Applied Theology at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She had enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a scholar, teacher, and activist in the Roman Catholic Church, and was well known as a groundbreaking figure in Christian feminist theology.
Education
B.A. – Scripps College
M.S., Ph.D. – Claremont Graduate School
Recent Publications / Achievements
Christianity and Social Systems: Historical Constructions and Ethical Challenges (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2009)
Catholic Does Not Equal the Vatican: A Vision for Progressive Catholicism (New Press, 2008)
America, Amerikkka: Elect Nation and Imperial Violence(Equinox, 2007)
Encyclopedia of Women And Religion in North America, with Rosemary Skinner Keller (Indiana University Press, 2006)
Goddesses and the Divine Feminine: A Western Religious History (University of California Press, 2005)
Integrating Ecofeminism, Globalization, and World Religions(Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2005)
Mountain Sisters: From Convent To Community In Appalachia, Forward (University Press of Kentucky, 2004)
The Wrath of Jonah: The Crisis of Religious Nationalism in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Fortress Press, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 23, 2024
Theology class: Christian Mental Health Theology
Really interesting background on schizophrenia, history of mental illness treatment, and options for treatment. Given within a context of personal experience.
Really interesting background on schizophrenia, history of mental illness treatment, and options for treatment. Given within a context of personal experience.
October 10, 2015
Having a child with any type of mental illness is challenging, but having a child diagnosed with schizophrenia is devastating. Thoughts of homelessness and endless hospital stays come to the mind, when a diagnosis such as this enters a family’s life. This book is about an educator and her struggle to find stability in her schizophrenic son’s life. Everyday there is a battle to find normalcy, support, and understanding for him. His name is David and he is one of many people that battle this tortuous disease. This book describes the many situations that David experienced throughout his time in various group homes, mental health facilities, and hospitals. It provides poems that shows how schizophrenia takes the mind of a talented writer and destroys it bit by bit. The author writes with brutal honesty about her struggles to communicate with both her son and his group home providers. A great deal of history is given throughout the book that discusses the treatment of the mentally ill and past remedies that were given.
This book was a very intense read. It was both informative and educational. As a parent to a child who was recently diagnosed as a schizophrenic, I find this book very helpful. In our short journey we have gone from possibly autistic, to severely bi-polar, to where we are now; which is schizophrenic. At nine years of age I never thought I would have a child experience something so unique. Reading books like this has allowed me to cope and gather the necessary information that I am going to need in the future. The author painted a realistic picture for me and allowed me to experience her heartache a little early. By doing so I was able to prepare myself and educate myself on some of the resources I may need in the future. Although there is much sadness in this book, there is also a lot of hope. David and his mother share a special bond with one another that cannot be easily broken and today he is faring well. I highly recommend this book to those that have loved ones that are struggling with this unique disease.
This book was a very intense read. It was both informative and educational. As a parent to a child who was recently diagnosed as a schizophrenic, I find this book very helpful. In our short journey we have gone from possibly autistic, to severely bi-polar, to where we are now; which is schizophrenic. At nine years of age I never thought I would have a child experience something so unique. Reading books like this has allowed me to cope and gather the necessary information that I am going to need in the future. The author painted a realistic picture for me and allowed me to experience her heartache a little early. By doing so I was able to prepare myself and educate myself on some of the resources I may need in the future. Although there is much sadness in this book, there is also a lot of hope. David and his mother share a special bond with one another that cannot be easily broken and today he is faring well. I highly recommend this book to those that have loved ones that are struggling with this unique disease.
January 26, 2012
a wonderful book both heartbreaking and very throught provoking i would recommendthis book to anyone who has any sort of an interest in mental health
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews