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Companions in the Darkness: Seven Saints Who Struggled with Depression and Doubt
The church's relationship with depression has been for centuries, depression was assumed to be evidence of personal sin or even demonic influence. The depressed have often been ostracized or institutionalized. In recent years the conversation has begun to change, and the stigma has lessened―but as anyone who suffers from depression knows, we still have a long way to go. In Companions in the Darkness , Diana Gruver looks back into church history and finds depression in the lives of some of our most beloved saints, including Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King Jr. Without trying to diagnose these figures from a distance, Gruver tells their stories in fresh ways, taking from each a particular lesson that can encourage or guide those who suffer today. Drawing on her own experience with depression, Gruver offers a wealth of practical wisdom both for those in the darkness and those who care for them. Not only can these saints teach us valuable lessons about the experience of depression, they can also be a source of hope and empathy for us today. They can be our companions in the darkness.
192 pages, Paperback
Published November 24, 2020
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November 19, 2020
Summary: Biographies of seven Christians in history who experienced depression and the hope we can embrace from how they lived through their struggle.
Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, David Brainerd, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. What these and two others in this book have in common is their struggles with depression. Diana Gruver, who has also experienced depression, has studied the lives of seven saints for what may be learned from their experience of depression. She writes:
Their stories bring me comfort, reassuring me that I am not alone. They remind me that I am not the only one to walk this road, that this experience is not an alien one. The lie that “surely no one else has felt this” is cut down by the truth that others, in fact, have, and their presence makes me feel less isolated. These fellow travelers are my companions in the darkness of night.
DIANA GRUVER, P. 13.
Gruver gracefully narrates the stories of these saints, weaving in insights from her own struggles with depression. One of the striking things I noticed was the differences in these stories and that depression had many faces. Some seemed to have family proclivities toward depression, others like Charles Spurgeon first encountered depression more or less out of the blue, resulting from a tragic event. Some like David Brainerd struggled with concurrent health issues while others faced pressures from tremendously challenging events.
One of the most interesting stories will probably be an unknown to most of us, Hannah Allen. Having struggled with depression during her husband’s absences at sea, she sinks into a deeper depression when he dies at sea. At one point she secrets herself under the floorboards where she is staying, determined to starve herself to death. With the help of relatives, she eventually agreed to medical treatment, improving to the point where she re-married. Gruver discusses how prayer and reasoning from scripture were not enough:
The cure for Hannah Allen wasn’t to drag her to church. It wasn’t to convince her to pray more. It wasn’t to quote Scripture at her until it removed her despair. Her caretakers sought for her the best medical care of the day. They changed her surroundings. They put her on what we would now call suicide watch. They kept showing up with compassion. They attended to her soul, yes, but they also attended to her body.
DIANE GRUVER, P. 47.
Hannah left a spiritual memoir of her life, which is the primary way we know of her struggle. She represents the many “ordinary Christians” who anonymously struggle, and the hope there is for them.
Gruver not only candidly describes the struggles of each figure she profiles, she shows the efforts employed by each, all but Martin Luther King, Jr., before modern medical treatments. King had been recommended for psychiatric treatment for depression by a doctor but refused because of the efforts to discredit him and the stigma mental illness incurred in his time. Luther fled solitude, married, and enjoyed drink and laughter at the table. William Cowper, who gave us great hymns and struggled through his life with depression, found respite in art and friendship. Mother Teresa, who once experienced a clear call of God lived in spiritual darkness where God was utterly absent and chose continued obedience to Jesus despite her feelings. King drew on reservoirs of humor, song, and prayer, the spirituality of the Black church, to lead resiliently under a continuous cloud of threats on his life, and during the desertion of friends when he stood against the Vietnam War.
Gruver includes an appendix with practical guidelines for helping a friend through depression. She sums up the message of this book, drawn from Pilgrim’s Progress as Christian and Hopeful cross the River of Death, as “the water is deep, but the bottom is good.” Depression is hard but God has not abandoned us, even if it feels that way.
We’re in especially dark times. One public health study reports that the incidence of symptoms associated with depression have more than tripled during the COVID pandemic. It’s likely that we, personally, or someone we care for, are one of these. Reading the stories of these “companions,” while not a substitute for professional care, may offer insight and hope to make it to the other side of these dark months. This book is a gift for our times as well as a glimpse of a side of people we thought we knew, enhancing our understanding of the quality of their faithfulness to God.
________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, David Brainerd, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. What these and two others in this book have in common is their struggles with depression. Diana Gruver, who has also experienced depression, has studied the lives of seven saints for what may be learned from their experience of depression. She writes:
Their stories bring me comfort, reassuring me that I am not alone. They remind me that I am not the only one to walk this road, that this experience is not an alien one. The lie that “surely no one else has felt this” is cut down by the truth that others, in fact, have, and their presence makes me feel less isolated. These fellow travelers are my companions in the darkness of night.
DIANA GRUVER, P. 13.
Gruver gracefully narrates the stories of these saints, weaving in insights from her own struggles with depression. One of the striking things I noticed was the differences in these stories and that depression had many faces. Some seemed to have family proclivities toward depression, others like Charles Spurgeon first encountered depression more or less out of the blue, resulting from a tragic event. Some like David Brainerd struggled with concurrent health issues while others faced pressures from tremendously challenging events.
One of the most interesting stories will probably be an unknown to most of us, Hannah Allen. Having struggled with depression during her husband’s absences at sea, she sinks into a deeper depression when he dies at sea. At one point she secrets herself under the floorboards where she is staying, determined to starve herself to death. With the help of relatives, she eventually agreed to medical treatment, improving to the point where she re-married. Gruver discusses how prayer and reasoning from scripture were not enough:
The cure for Hannah Allen wasn’t to drag her to church. It wasn’t to convince her to pray more. It wasn’t to quote Scripture at her until it removed her despair. Her caretakers sought for her the best medical care of the day. They changed her surroundings. They put her on what we would now call suicide watch. They kept showing up with compassion. They attended to her soul, yes, but they also attended to her body.
DIANE GRUVER, P. 47.
Hannah left a spiritual memoir of her life, which is the primary way we know of her struggle. She represents the many “ordinary Christians” who anonymously struggle, and the hope there is for them.
Gruver not only candidly describes the struggles of each figure she profiles, she shows the efforts employed by each, all but Martin Luther King, Jr., before modern medical treatments. King had been recommended for psychiatric treatment for depression by a doctor but refused because of the efforts to discredit him and the stigma mental illness incurred in his time. Luther fled solitude, married, and enjoyed drink and laughter at the table. William Cowper, who gave us great hymns and struggled through his life with depression, found respite in art and friendship. Mother Teresa, who once experienced a clear call of God lived in spiritual darkness where God was utterly absent and chose continued obedience to Jesus despite her feelings. King drew on reservoirs of humor, song, and prayer, the spirituality of the Black church, to lead resiliently under a continuous cloud of threats on his life, and during the desertion of friends when he stood against the Vietnam War.
Gruver includes an appendix with practical guidelines for helping a friend through depression. She sums up the message of this book, drawn from Pilgrim’s Progress as Christian and Hopeful cross the River of Death, as “the water is deep, but the bottom is good.” Depression is hard but God has not abandoned us, even if it feels that way.
We’re in especially dark times. One public health study reports that the incidence of symptoms associated with depression have more than tripled during the COVID pandemic. It’s likely that we, personally, or someone we care for, are one of these. Reading the stories of these “companions,” while not a substitute for professional care, may offer insight and hope to make it to the other side of these dark months. This book is a gift for our times as well as a glimpse of a side of people we thought we knew, enhancing our understanding of the quality of their faithfulness to God.
________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
January 26, 2021
This book is a life giving light in the darkness. Each sketch of a believer and their struggle with depression was unique and encouraging. This is a book that didn’t try to sugarcoat depression, or make the struggle seem easy. It also doesn’t offer an easy path forward by following 10 simple steps. Instead you get the real stories of those who have struggled as well. Anyone who has struggled with depression must read this book. But any believer would be encouraged by their faith.
December 14, 2020
Diana Gruver does a good job addressing depression in ways that will help Christians better understand what it's like to live with a mental illness. Companions in the Darkness will provide comfort and encouragement to those who have been told by the church that mental illness is a sign of a lack of faith or unrepentant sin. It is well-researched and includes a bit of her own story, too. It is also a good resource for people who haven't processed these topics before and for pastors and other church leaders who need to be more aware of the experiences of many of their congregants.
March 21, 2021
It’s both encouraging and weighted to read through the hardships of these saints, and how they struggled with their depression and doubt amid their work.
I would recommend this book to anyone - whether it’s to feel seen within the words of these biographies, or to become better educated on what a mental illness may look like, especially in the church.
I would recommend this book to anyone - whether it’s to feel seen within the words of these biographies, or to become better educated on what a mental illness may look like, especially in the church.
December 9, 2020
This unique book shares biographical sketches of seven different faithful Christians who endured long and recurrent periods of depression. The author, Diana Gruver, has struggled with depression herself, but even though she occasionally mentions general aspects of her experiences, she focuses on the common patterns and similarities that we can find in the experiences of different Christians from throughout Western church history. She shows how these men and women dealt with depression over time, some more successfully than others, and encourages her readers to know that no matter how dark their lives may be, they are not alone.
Faithful and Accurate Histories
Gruver is willing to sit in the mystery of her own and others' pain, and instead of presuming to know all the answers, she focuses on how Christians like Spurgeon, Luther, and lesser-known figures experienced their suffering and navigated their relationships with God in the midst of it. One of the most interesting chapters, in my view, is the one about Martin Luther King Jr. I was not aware that he struggled with depression, but Gruver draws on reports from people who were close to him and saw past his public persona, showing how he struggled over time. She also explains various reasons for his secrecy, ranging from Black American cultural factors to the threat that any hint of weakness or mental instability would destroy his constantly challenged ministry. In this chapter, she creates an interesting and deeply sympathetic portrait that is strikingly different from most people's visions of MLK.
I appreciate Gruver's willingness to delve into difficult aspects of people's stories, and she does an excellent job presenting brief biographies that are thorough, detailed, and well-cited. She doesn't make assumptions about her subjects, and even when she explores the possibilities of what they might have been thinking or feeling at a certain time, she always distinguishes plausible speculation from documented evidence. Gruver never makes assumptions about other people's mental health in order to advance a narrative, but faithfully, carefully retells the stories of people's real struggles. She also maintains a sense of historical context, and even though I am a history major and can easily pick apart books like this, Gruver explained the cultures and mental health perspectives of different time periods very well. My only critique is that I wish she had mentioned obsessive-compulsive disorder as a factor for Luther, instead of only addressing his depressive symptoms.
Hope and Wisdom
Gruver never smooths over suffering with platitudes, and points out how absurd it would be for someone to tell Spurgeon that he could get over his depression if he just prayed more, or had more faith. She acknowledges how painful it is when people call suffering believers' faith into question because of their mental health issues, and encourages her readers to see themselves within these faithful Christians instead of despairing of the often shallow church cultures around them. Also, even though she includes practical advice from these sufferers and writes about how they understood their internal states prior to modern psychological understandings, she never minimizes how important it is for people to make use of the psychological and medical resources that are available now.
Gruver also emphasizes the importance of communal love and support. Even in the darkest stories, she draws attention to the ways that family members and friends helped provide, protect, and care for sufferers, even when no one truly understood what was happening or could do anything to fix it. She encourages helpers to faithfully support their depressed love ones in similar ways, and in the appendix, she shares brief and specific action points that people can take to help encourage depressed loved ones in daily life and support them in getting professional help.
Conclusion
This book illumines the often hidden history of mental health issues among saints that Christians admire. Diana Gruver writes their stories in a sensitive and accurate way, providing historical context when needed, and never smooths over painful stories with platitudes or shallow assumptions. Instead, she emphasizes the sustaining grace of God and the ways that loved ones can provide care even when the whole world seems dark. This book will encourage both depressed Christians and the people who love them to see similarities between their struggles and those that other Christians have faithfully endured, and can help open conversations about how the American church responds to mental health issues. Although this is a heavy read at times, Gruver encourages her readers with the knowledge that even when they feel like no one can understand, they are not alone.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Faithful and Accurate Histories
Gruver is willing to sit in the mystery of her own and others' pain, and instead of presuming to know all the answers, she focuses on how Christians like Spurgeon, Luther, and lesser-known figures experienced their suffering and navigated their relationships with God in the midst of it. One of the most interesting chapters, in my view, is the one about Martin Luther King Jr. I was not aware that he struggled with depression, but Gruver draws on reports from people who were close to him and saw past his public persona, showing how he struggled over time. She also explains various reasons for his secrecy, ranging from Black American cultural factors to the threat that any hint of weakness or mental instability would destroy his constantly challenged ministry. In this chapter, she creates an interesting and deeply sympathetic portrait that is strikingly different from most people's visions of MLK.
I appreciate Gruver's willingness to delve into difficult aspects of people's stories, and she does an excellent job presenting brief biographies that are thorough, detailed, and well-cited. She doesn't make assumptions about her subjects, and even when she explores the possibilities of what they might have been thinking or feeling at a certain time, she always distinguishes plausible speculation from documented evidence. Gruver never makes assumptions about other people's mental health in order to advance a narrative, but faithfully, carefully retells the stories of people's real struggles. She also maintains a sense of historical context, and even though I am a history major and can easily pick apart books like this, Gruver explained the cultures and mental health perspectives of different time periods very well. My only critique is that I wish she had mentioned obsessive-compulsive disorder as a factor for Luther, instead of only addressing his depressive symptoms.
Hope and Wisdom
Gruver never smooths over suffering with platitudes, and points out how absurd it would be for someone to tell Spurgeon that he could get over his depression if he just prayed more, or had more faith. She acknowledges how painful it is when people call suffering believers' faith into question because of their mental health issues, and encourages her readers to see themselves within these faithful Christians instead of despairing of the often shallow church cultures around them. Also, even though she includes practical advice from these sufferers and writes about how they understood their internal states prior to modern psychological understandings, she never minimizes how important it is for people to make use of the psychological and medical resources that are available now.
Gruver also emphasizes the importance of communal love and support. Even in the darkest stories, she draws attention to the ways that family members and friends helped provide, protect, and care for sufferers, even when no one truly understood what was happening or could do anything to fix it. She encourages helpers to faithfully support their depressed love ones in similar ways, and in the appendix, she shares brief and specific action points that people can take to help encourage depressed loved ones in daily life and support them in getting professional help.
Conclusion
This book illumines the often hidden history of mental health issues among saints that Christians admire. Diana Gruver writes their stories in a sensitive and accurate way, providing historical context when needed, and never smooths over painful stories with platitudes or shallow assumptions. Instead, she emphasizes the sustaining grace of God and the ways that loved ones can provide care even when the whole world seems dark. This book will encourage both depressed Christians and the people who love them to see similarities between their struggles and those that other Christians have faithfully endured, and can help open conversations about how the American church responds to mental health issues. Although this is a heavy read at times, Gruver encourages her readers with the knowledge that even when they feel like no one can understand, they are not alone.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2023
On the one hand, this book helps create a space that often does not exist for people of faith - A place to recognize sadness, depression, and doubt in a way that does not make you feel like you are all alone in the overwhelming emotions that come with such realities.
So often in the Christian world, we rely on pat answers of "just pray" or "have more faith" without ever recognizing those statements belabor the shame people feel when they still wrestle with doubt and sadness. These stories of people of faith are all relatable, eye-opening, and, oddly, comforting.
On the other hand, I had to take breaks with this book as reading about the struggles that often mirrored my own began to cause more profound sadness rather than hope.
For people who doubt and deal with depression, anxiety, and consistent sadness, this book can be helpful to realize you are not alone. I believe it graciously reminds the reader that God meets us where we are, and our struggles do not discount us from His love. Nor does it disqualify us from having meaningful impacts on the world around us. The reality that God uses all parts of us for His Kingdom is abundant in this book.
All that to say, take your time with this book. There is much to rest in but protect yourself from wallowing.
So often in the Christian world, we rely on pat answers of "just pray" or "have more faith" without ever recognizing those statements belabor the shame people feel when they still wrestle with doubt and sadness. These stories of people of faith are all relatable, eye-opening, and, oddly, comforting.
On the other hand, I had to take breaks with this book as reading about the struggles that often mirrored my own began to cause more profound sadness rather than hope.
For people who doubt and deal with depression, anxiety, and consistent sadness, this book can be helpful to realize you are not alone. I believe it graciously reminds the reader that God meets us where we are, and our struggles do not discount us from His love. Nor does it disqualify us from having meaningful impacts on the world around us. The reality that God uses all parts of us for His Kingdom is abundant in this book.
All that to say, take your time with this book. There is much to rest in but protect yourself from wallowing.
stopped-reading
July 25, 2025DNF 24.7.25
I only listened to the introduction and was looking forward to the different stories. But honestly, the introduction sounded like an advertisement for antidepressants. I’m not saying they can’t be helpful, but from my personal experience and family history with psychotropic drugs I think we should be extremely careful when it comes to them. It’s not a secret that one possible side effect of antidepressants are suicidal thoughts. So the underlying perception that every depression should be treated not only but at least partly with psychiatric drugs sounds dangerous to me. I’m not in a position to condemn them completely, I just don’t think it’s always necessary or wise to count on them making someone better.
I just didn’t want to listen to the actual book after an introduction that seemed to have no problem to advertise serious drugs to kind of every reader who deals with depression.
I only listened to the introduction and was looking forward to the different stories. But honestly, the introduction sounded like an advertisement for antidepressants. I’m not saying they can’t be helpful, but from my personal experience and family history with psychotropic drugs I think we should be extremely careful when it comes to them. It’s not a secret that one possible side effect of antidepressants are suicidal thoughts. So the underlying perception that every depression should be treated not only but at least partly with psychiatric drugs sounds dangerous to me. I’m not in a position to condemn them completely, I just don’t think it’s always necessary or wise to count on them making someone better.
I just didn’t want to listen to the actual book after an introduction that seemed to have no problem to advertise serious drugs to kind of every reader who deals with depression.
April 28, 2021
this book is outstanding, but it has a specific audience. this book is for christians that are depressed to the point of fighting for their lives, and the people trying to care for someone in that place. it won’t have much of an effect on people that get sad in the winter. this is for people that know the feeling of having their heart ripped out of their chest to bleed 10,000 times every hour of every day. the people this book focuses on had the most severe forms of depression, including delusions. however, everyone should read it if only to understand why the church’s past and current response to depression is so horrific.
November 23, 2020
Diana Gruver covers a much-needed topic in a beautiful, engaging and well-researched way. This book would be inspiring and informative for any Christ-follower, but I particularly recommend it for anyone who struggles with depression or has a loved one who does. I also recommend it for church history buffs.
January 21, 2021
I sometimes feel bad giving three stars to book I liked. I would probably give it 3.5 if I could. An excellent dive into the lives of seven saints who like so many have struggled with depression. It's one of those things you would never wish on anybody, but it is encouraging to know one is not alone in this.
January 12, 2025
This book was very well organized. I enjoyed how thoroughly the author seems to have researched. I learned new things about these saints, and I gleaned knowledge and encouragement throughout my reading. I would definitely recommend this book if you are needing some support or encouragement, or if you know someone who may need some.
October 26, 2021
This book is a fascinating account of seven "companions in the darkness," i.e., saints in history who struggled with depression and doubt. I had never heard of Hannah Allen, who lived and wrote in the seventeenth century. I didn't realize that Charles Spurgeon had been preaching in a crowded hall when someone yelled, "Fire!" and in the panic that followed, several people died and more were seriously injured. I appreciated each of the stories in this book, each well told and set in the larger context of what we can learn about depression and doubt for our lives today.
January 10, 2021
Great book detailing the lives of 7 faithful Christians who struggled with depression and doubt. Much needed to read.
January 21, 2021
“The water is deep, but the bottom is good” is the refrain of this book, and by the end it had me in tears. If you struggle with depression or love someone who does, read this book. These men and women , many of whom are giants of our faith, have so much wisdom to share with us, but their wisdoms has been buried under the age old adage of “just pray more”. The book is beautifully written, doesn’t glaze over tragedies, and magnifies Gods goodness and presence even when the water is deep.
December 5, 2020
A very well written book that I found myself not being able to put down. I was swept up into each companion’s story with imagery that put me right in the room (or under porch floorboards) with each saint. Diana Gruver’s thorough research pulls the curtain back and reveals intimate details of the depressions of familiar heroes of faith. I commend Gruver for sharing bits of her own story of depression throughout the book and being yet another example of how God does not waste even the darkest moments of our lives.
October 5, 2020
Anyone who's dealt with depression and feeling isolated will tell you how valuable, well researched and written this book is for others on the outside looking in to read. Should be required reading for ministry workers maybe then church won't feel so uninviting for those that struggle. I'm really looking forward to seeing this books make its rounds in the Christian community.
April 12, 2021
Delightful, encouraging, helpful stories of brothers and sisters who have gone before us and who faced deep darkness and depression. Diana writes beautiful prose with accurate, keen insight into the human condition and a view of God that is filled with love and compassion. Highly recommended.
November 22, 2020
I have long wished for someone to write this book. Over the years, I've lived with mental health problems, volunteered in mental health support, and learned bits and pieces about the challenges faced by Spurgeon, Cowper, and Mother Teresa. And I've wished there were a convenient way to point other Christians to the truth that faith isn't a remedy for mental health problems. Faith is how we continue to live forward in hope when our condition tells us hope is a lie (Heb. 11:1).
I'm grateful that Diana Gruver has assembled this collection telling briefly and beautifully the stories of seven people whose faith is unquestionable and whose struggles are undeniable. May it help us all. I am confident it will help those of us who struggle to persevere. I found it personally encouraging to see these saints of history finding relief in life strategies (hobbies, outdoor activity, the company of others) that also work for me. Indeed, these saints recognized that to "pray more!" in isolation is a prescription for worsening mental health, not recovery. I'd love the 21st century American church to learn this lesson from history!
I especially hope these essays will be found instructive by those whose efforts to encourage people with mental health problems can fall into accusations against the quality of our faith. Our faith is, in many cases, what has kept us alive over many years. I'm not sure it's easy to know what it means to "choose life" (Dt. 30:19) when you have not had to do so -- literally -- day after day and week after week. Gruver's accounts of these sainted lives may open eyes to how hard we work to maintain our contributions as members of the Body of Christ, and to the ongoing need of the entire Body for us "members of the body, which seem to be more feeble" yet are necessary (1 Cor 12:22).
I'm grateful that Diana Gruver has assembled this collection telling briefly and beautifully the stories of seven people whose faith is unquestionable and whose struggles are undeniable. May it help us all. I am confident it will help those of us who struggle to persevere. I found it personally encouraging to see these saints of history finding relief in life strategies (hobbies, outdoor activity, the company of others) that also work for me. Indeed, these saints recognized that to "pray more!" in isolation is a prescription for worsening mental health, not recovery. I'd love the 21st century American church to learn this lesson from history!
I especially hope these essays will be found instructive by those whose efforts to encourage people with mental health problems can fall into accusations against the quality of our faith. Our faith is, in many cases, what has kept us alive over many years. I'm not sure it's easy to know what it means to "choose life" (Dt. 30:19) when you have not had to do so -- literally -- day after day and week after week. Gruver's accounts of these sainted lives may open eyes to how hard we work to maintain our contributions as members of the Body of Christ, and to the ongoing need of the entire Body for us "members of the body, which seem to be more feeble" yet are necessary (1 Cor 12:22).
November 20, 2020
Every page has me thinking about how to love people in dark places better. Her words create bridges to our spiritual heroes and make them human to us again. We know of the victories of the seven companions from history, but we don't often — if ever — learn of their struggles. Diana's writings let us journey into the minds and experiences of people who have walked the path of darkness before so we can com alongside others on their journey or share these experiences with them to remind them they are not alone.
This book is raw. This book is real. This book is cathartic. This book is comforting. This book is challenging. This book is inspiring. This book is _________.
Fill in the blank after reading your own copy.
This book is raw. This book is real. This book is cathartic. This book is comforting. This book is challenging. This book is inspiring. This book is _________.
Fill in the blank after reading your own copy.
February 23, 2021
Three of the most compassionate words I've ever heard are, "I get you." In a faith that is based on a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ, one of the surest way to grow together in faith is to connect with someone who shares our struggles. Clinical depression, a medical condition, can strike anyone at anytime. Even the most saintly among us can be prone to fall in a "pit of Sheol." In fact, saints are perhaps even more vulnerable as they cling to the cross they carry for Christ.
Diana Gruver gets depression. First-hand. Her depression has also sent her on a journey to find companions in the darkness. This wonderfully written and well researched book unveils seven (and more) believers who reflected the light of Christ even as they walked, or crawled, or sat, in darkness. There are saints of many stripes. I discovered one I hadn't heard of and learned more about the more popular ones.
As a Christian diagnosed with bipolar depression, I feel less alone than when I started reading this book.
Diana Gruver gets depression. First-hand. Her depression has also sent her on a journey to find companions in the darkness. This wonderfully written and well researched book unveils seven (and more) believers who reflected the light of Christ even as they walked, or crawled, or sat, in darkness. There are saints of many stripes. I discovered one I hadn't heard of and learned more about the more popular ones.
As a Christian diagnosed with bipolar depression, I feel less alone than when I started reading this book.
December 5, 2020
In “Companions in the Darkness,” Diana Gruver looks back into church history and finds signs of depression in the lives of seven saints (everyday Christians and church leaders). Without trying to diagnose these figures from a distance, Gruver tells their stories in fresh ways, taking from each a particular lesson that can encourage or guide those who suffer today.
The book addresses the reality of the church's relationship with depression. For centuries, depression was assumed to be evidence of personal sin or even demonic influence, and people with depression were ostracized or institutionalized. In recent years the conversation has begun to change, and the stigma has lessened--but as anyone who suffers from depression knows, we still have a long way to go.
Gruver herself suffered from depression in college, and she ties in her experience with each of the saints she discusses. This is one part of the book I would change - I get that she had depression, but she appears to be healed, and that’s not how depression works in real life or in the lives of the saints she discusses.
“Companions in the Darkness” does offer a wealth of practical wisdom for those with depression and their caregivers. I found myself taking notes as I read, and plan to keep these notes for future reference. I would give this book to friends and caregivers, too, as an attempt to spread awareness about how to address depression and survive it. Through this book, we learn valuable lessons about the experience of depression and can find hope and empathy for us today. The saints in this book can be our companions in the darkness.
The book addresses the reality of the church's relationship with depression. For centuries, depression was assumed to be evidence of personal sin or even demonic influence, and people with depression were ostracized or institutionalized. In recent years the conversation has begun to change, and the stigma has lessened--but as anyone who suffers from depression knows, we still have a long way to go.
Gruver herself suffered from depression in college, and she ties in her experience with each of the saints she discusses. This is one part of the book I would change - I get that she had depression, but she appears to be healed, and that’s not how depression works in real life or in the lives of the saints she discusses.
“Companions in the Darkness” does offer a wealth of practical wisdom for those with depression and their caregivers. I found myself taking notes as I read, and plan to keep these notes for future reference. I would give this book to friends and caregivers, too, as an attempt to spread awareness about how to address depression and survive it. Through this book, we learn valuable lessons about the experience of depression and can find hope and empathy for us today. The saints in this book can be our companions in the darkness.
November 11, 2020
One of the greatest lies that depression tells you is that you are utterly alone. That no one has ever felt the way you feel and that no one could ever hope to understand. For the Christian, this feeling of being alone is often mixed with shame.
“If I were a faithful Christian, I would have unfailing joy.” “If I were stronger in my faith, I would have overcome this.” These are the thoughts that often haunt the mind of the depressed believer. But what if these thoughts were lies? What if there were faithful believers throughout the centuries who inhabited the same darkness as you?
Diana Gruver reveals that there have been many such Christians throughout the ages in Companions in the Darkness, and the believers who struggled with depression may surprise you. It is easy to idealize those we laud as “heroes in the faith” as being impervious to depression and doubt and as exuding unfailing joy in all circumstances. But Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, and Mother Teresa—just to name a few—had intense struggles with depression.
In Companions in the Darkness, Diana Gruver weaves church history, narrative, and memoir as she tells the story of 7 believers who walked the dark path that so many of us now tread. In looking back on Christians of centuries past, Gruver assures those struggling that they are not alone, and she also paves a hopeful way forward in the valuable lessons and wise encouragement she draws from each person’s story. I highly recommend it if you are struggling with depression or have a loved one who is.
“If I were a faithful Christian, I would have unfailing joy.” “If I were stronger in my faith, I would have overcome this.” These are the thoughts that often haunt the mind of the depressed believer. But what if these thoughts were lies? What if there were faithful believers throughout the centuries who inhabited the same darkness as you?
Diana Gruver reveals that there have been many such Christians throughout the ages in Companions in the Darkness, and the believers who struggled with depression may surprise you. It is easy to idealize those we laud as “heroes in the faith” as being impervious to depression and doubt and as exuding unfailing joy in all circumstances. But Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, and Mother Teresa—just to name a few—had intense struggles with depression.
In Companions in the Darkness, Diana Gruver weaves church history, narrative, and memoir as she tells the story of 7 believers who walked the dark path that so many of us now tread. In looking back on Christians of centuries past, Gruver assures those struggling that they are not alone, and she also paves a hopeful way forward in the valuable lessons and wise encouragement she draws from each person’s story. I highly recommend it if you are struggling with depression or have a loved one who is.
November 27, 2020
This book was one that I had thought of myself that I wanted written, so I was excited to hear about it being released! I have personally struggled with depression on and off for many years, that is the perspective I came to this book with. I feel it brings one who struggles with depression great comfort to know of those in history who have inspired many, yet shared in that struggle. There were valuable insights gained from each of these people mentioned. There were a few things I should mention about this book however. I would give a trigger warning, especially in the chapter about Hannah Allen. I feel a the beginning of the chapter, there was overly descriptive language used when describing her suicide attempt. I think this could trigger others, as it did for me a little bit as I was reading the book.
Another thing I would have liked was that the book seemed very short to me. I suppose that’s kind of a interesting critique, but I felt there could have been a whole chapter that discussed more in depth the current condition of the church’s response to those who are depressed, and how to better handle the situation. Also, in the conclusion I think the author could have tied in each of the things we could learn from each of the saints discussed to remind the reader of those things, and offer practical advice to sufferers of depression once again.
But overall, I would still recommend the book. It brought great comfort and encouragement to me in my struggles and I know it will to others as well.
Another thing I would have liked was that the book seemed very short to me. I suppose that’s kind of a interesting critique, but I felt there could have been a whole chapter that discussed more in depth the current condition of the church’s response to those who are depressed, and how to better handle the situation. Also, in the conclusion I think the author could have tied in each of the things we could learn from each of the saints discussed to remind the reader of those things, and offer practical advice to sufferers of depression once again.
But overall, I would still recommend the book. It brought great comfort and encouragement to me in my struggles and I know it will to others as well.
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December 8, 2020The church has often had a bad habit of stigmatizing mental illnesses like anxiety and depression and romanticizing historical figures like Luther and Spurgeon. This book gracefully lifts the stigma, while also removing historical rose-colored glasses, by looking at various historical figures in Christian history through the lens of depression. Though some have lived prior to clinical definitions and diagnoses of depression, figures like Luther, Spurgeon, Mother Theresa, and MLK all wrestled with darkness in their life. Companions in the Darkness tells their stories.
This book is for people who are wrestling with the darkness of depression. Gruver vulnerably shares her own story and the stories of these historical figures so those who wrestle can know that they are not alone in the darkness.
This book is for friends and family members of those who wrestle with darkness. The stories this book tells help to cultivate compassion and understanding and shares helpful ways to support those who are in the dark.
This book is for pastors and counselors who work with people who wrestle with darkness. The stories and insights within help shed light on how to support those in your care.
This book is for members of the church and students of history. These stories help to give a deeper and more honest account of those who have gone before so that we might go deeper and be more honest with ourselves as we too wrestle through darkness.
Read this book. Rest in its gracious words. Reflect on them and know that you have companions in the darkness.
This book is for people who are wrestling with the darkness of depression. Gruver vulnerably shares her own story and the stories of these historical figures so those who wrestle can know that they are not alone in the darkness.
This book is for friends and family members of those who wrestle with darkness. The stories this book tells help to cultivate compassion and understanding and shares helpful ways to support those who are in the dark.
This book is for pastors and counselors who work with people who wrestle with darkness. The stories and insights within help shed light on how to support those in your care.
This book is for members of the church and students of history. These stories help to give a deeper and more honest account of those who have gone before so that we might go deeper and be more honest with ourselves as we too wrestle through darkness.
Read this book. Rest in its gracious words. Reflect on them and know that you have companions in the darkness.
September 4, 2022
Gruver's precise and vivid prose put words to thoughts and feelings I've struggled to explain. I found freedom in these pages. Because from her personal experience to stories of historical figures comes one resounding truth: you are not alone.
Whether you yourself struggle with depression and mental health or one of your loved one does, I highly recommend this book. The stigma and external pressures surrounding depression--specifically in the Church--accompanied with the internal lies depression creates make the truth impossible to find. But Gruver sheds light on that truth. The truth that depression isn't a punishment or something to be ashamed. But rather something we should be honest about so we can invite help and healing in. Something to turn to God with so we aren't relying on our own will and strength.
Gruver tells of a God who is not spiteful or indifferent to our suffering. But who is loving and provided tools for us to find comfort and love in. This book is one of those tools. And, upon reading it, I feel more confident to be God's hand and feet in this way--to reach and comfort people in their darkness. To be--as Gruver describes Charles Spurgeon--a "wounded healer."
No matter where you're at in your faith or mental health, you are not alone. If surrendered, God can use your pain and struggle for good. That may sound counterintuitive, but I've experienced it. "Companions in the Darkness" is proof Gruver has too. And so have the people Gruver tells of. With God, enduring the brokenness of our world is not for nothing.
Whether you yourself struggle with depression and mental health or one of your loved one does, I highly recommend this book. The stigma and external pressures surrounding depression--specifically in the Church--accompanied with the internal lies depression creates make the truth impossible to find. But Gruver sheds light on that truth. The truth that depression isn't a punishment or something to be ashamed. But rather something we should be honest about so we can invite help and healing in. Something to turn to God with so we aren't relying on our own will and strength.
Gruver tells of a God who is not spiteful or indifferent to our suffering. But who is loving and provided tools for us to find comfort and love in. This book is one of those tools. And, upon reading it, I feel more confident to be God's hand and feet in this way--to reach and comfort people in their darkness. To be--as Gruver describes Charles Spurgeon--a "wounded healer."
No matter where you're at in your faith or mental health, you are not alone. If surrendered, God can use your pain and struggle for good. That may sound counterintuitive, but I've experienced it. "Companions in the Darkness" is proof Gruver has too. And so have the people Gruver tells of. With God, enduring the brokenness of our world is not for nothing.
December 6, 2022
It’s become quite obvious in the last two years that the Christian community is a bit confused as to what to do with mental illnesses, including depression. Opinions vary while Scripture is contorted to support such opinions. This can be true of all things of a sensitive nature. As one who is very well acquainted with depression, I became disgusted with the “helpful tidbits” I was gleaning from my own Christian community and also those coming from the greater one.
When I found out about this book, I was hesitant to buy it outright. My thoughts, “Yikes, it’s not at the library so I can’t test the waters, especially since it’s about depression.” I didn’t want a repeat script of, “how to control your unwanted thoughts” or “how to have faith and be healed.”
Be assured, dear prospective reader, there will be none of that. Ms. Gruver has come out from the pit and she knows better than to write about that nonsense. She describes depression in ways with which I deeply resonate. Her experience is the real deal and she writes from that place of remembering and struggle. Her intimate accounts of these “saints” that struggled from depression (or could have been struggling) provide comfort, clarification, hope, and practical aid. This book is not one to be dismissed quickly. I will be giving this to anyone in my circle who is struggling and needs encouragement. Of course, I will be buying new copies for them because I’m keeping this one and rereading it many times in the future.
When I found out about this book, I was hesitant to buy it outright. My thoughts, “Yikes, it’s not at the library so I can’t test the waters, especially since it’s about depression.” I didn’t want a repeat script of, “how to control your unwanted thoughts” or “how to have faith and be healed.”
Be assured, dear prospective reader, there will be none of that. Ms. Gruver has come out from the pit and she knows better than to write about that nonsense. She describes depression in ways with which I deeply resonate. Her experience is the real deal and she writes from that place of remembering and struggle. Her intimate accounts of these “saints” that struggled from depression (or could have been struggling) provide comfort, clarification, hope, and practical aid. This book is not one to be dismissed quickly. I will be giving this to anyone in my circle who is struggling and needs encouragement. Of course, I will be buying new copies for them because I’m keeping this one and rereading it many times in the future.
December 1, 2020
Though this book was written well before Covid even existed, it was such a comforting read during such a lonely time in life. My favorite chapter was on Hannah Allen, whom I knew very little prior to reading her story. Diana normalizes mental health in such a poetic way, weaving in stories that are reminders of the faithfulness of God, and even when people seek medical care, spiritual care, and support, the valleys of mental health can be so challenging. Diana was able to connect the effects of mental health in a person's spiritual lives, which is often overlooked. Hannah's story, for me, is a reminder that we are not alone in the spirutal struggles that come with a mental health diagnosis.
Excerpt:
"Depression notoriously seeps into our spiritual lives... Thoughts grow sluggish, prayers leaden. It can feel as though God's presence has silently withdrawn, leaving us behind in a foggy mist of doubt, fear, and desperation... This is why Hannah's story is important, even though she did not influence a monumental shift in church history like Martin Luther or write still-loved sermons or hymns like Charles Spurgeon or WIlliam Cowper. Hers is the story of an everyday Christian trying to live faithfully in the midst of the trials of life, but the history of the churhc is built on the lives of 'normal' people like her."
Excerpt:
"Depression notoriously seeps into our spiritual lives... Thoughts grow sluggish, prayers leaden. It can feel as though God's presence has silently withdrawn, leaving us behind in a foggy mist of doubt, fear, and desperation... This is why Hannah's story is important, even though she did not influence a monumental shift in church history like Martin Luther or write still-loved sermons or hymns like Charles Spurgeon or WIlliam Cowper. Hers is the story of an everyday Christian trying to live faithfully in the midst of the trials of life, but the history of the churhc is built on the lives of 'normal' people like her."
March 19, 2024
I wanted to like it more.
It isn't bad. But for me, it was a bit all over the place. Maybe I had different expectations that weren't in line with the authors goal.
The first person the author examined was probably the most helpful. With some real tips on how to live through and help people living through depression.
At points, even in that chapter, the author assumes depression when plenty of other explanations are plausible and sometimes more likely. Especially with Spurgeon and MLK Jr., I felt that. They can still be good examples of saints of the night. But at times, avoiding a modern concept like depression would have been a huge plus, in my opinion.
I know a well-known person is no better than an unknown person. But in the introduction, it sounded like the author would use examples of people known for exemplar faith or "heroes" of the faith. Not that I mind stories of your average Christian being faithful to Jesus it was just not set up that way, at least from my understanding.
The appendix on how to care for someone with depression was helpful. Some of the stories were inspiring, and seeing how Luther's advice and others are similar as advice I have received from psychologists.
It was not a bad read, but it could have been much better, in my opinion. A simple way would have been doing a short biblical theology of people feeling low and advice given.
It isn't bad. But for me, it was a bit all over the place. Maybe I had different expectations that weren't in line with the authors goal.
The first person the author examined was probably the most helpful. With some real tips on how to live through and help people living through depression.
At points, even in that chapter, the author assumes depression when plenty of other explanations are plausible and sometimes more likely. Especially with Spurgeon and MLK Jr., I felt that. They can still be good examples of saints of the night. But at times, avoiding a modern concept like depression would have been a huge plus, in my opinion.
I know a well-known person is no better than an unknown person. But in the introduction, it sounded like the author would use examples of people known for exemplar faith or "heroes" of the faith. Not that I mind stories of your average Christian being faithful to Jesus it was just not set up that way, at least from my understanding.
The appendix on how to care for someone with depression was helpful. Some of the stories were inspiring, and seeing how Luther's advice and others are similar as advice I have received from psychologists.
It was not a bad read, but it could have been much better, in my opinion. A simple way would have been doing a short biblical theology of people feeling low and advice given.
November 11, 2020
Depression is a subject that needs to be treated with insight and tenderness. It should not be treated as a sinful condition that comes to believers because they are bad or immature, since treating this matter so superficially causes more harm.
In that sense of importance, precision and affection, this book entitled "Companions in the Darkness" by Diana Gruver comes to our hands, it presents how depression was present in various believers throughout the time of christian history. It is important to note that these believers, even though they were instruments of God in their day, also struggled in some way with depression. The book does not seek to be a guide on how to solve depression, but to show us a group of friends, of brothers and sisters, who like many crossed the valley of darkness. These voices speak to us and tell us that depression is not the end of our lives.
The reader will find seven characters, whose stories will be of strength for our lives
In that sense of importance, precision and affection, this book entitled "Companions in the Darkness" by Diana Gruver comes to our hands, it presents how depression was present in various believers throughout the time of christian history. It is important to note that these believers, even though they were instruments of God in their day, also struggled in some way with depression. The book does not seek to be a guide on how to solve depression, but to show us a group of friends, of brothers and sisters, who like many crossed the valley of darkness. These voices speak to us and tell us that depression is not the end of our lives.
The reader will find seven characters, whose stories will be of strength for our lives
November 18, 2020
Companions in the Darkness is a personal and tangible read on various Christians experience of depression, including the author’s own experience. Since it’s written from this perspective, Gruver does an excellent job of speaking into the darkness with conviction and compassion. She calls it what it is without losing hold of the hope that pulled her and many others like her, through their darkness. One of the things I was most challenged by in this work were the unanswered questions and the unresolved stories- how God does not always bring a happy resolution on this side of life. The strength of faith and conviction to journey into these waters is admirable. As a marriage and family therapist, I will use this resource with clients who also are navigating these waters and feel there is no end in sight. This book can serve as an encouragement and a companion in and of itself. Thank you, Diana, for your bravery and willingness to serve as a companion and guide!
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