Dying, Grieving, Faith, and Family: A Pastoral Care Approach • The Pastoral Care of Depression: A Guidebook

Shakespeare's Macbeth asks the doctor to help his wife, who suffers from mental illness. The doctor replies, "Therein the patient must minister to himself." Perhaps Shakespeare's doctor reveals a truth about the origin of one's ministry and pastoral experience. Namely, effective pastoral care begins with finding the pastor in oneself.

Bowman is a certified chaplain supervisor. Gilbert is an ordained elder of the United Methodist Church and a fellow of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. Their life experiences motivate them to write about pastoral care. Bowman mentions his "full recovery from both cancer and spinal meningitis." Gilbert states, "I have at times struggled with depression."

The same personal and fundamental question, albeit unmentioned, lies at the heart of each book: during my illness, what was most helpful to me from a pastoral point of view, either as pastor to myself or as others were pastors to me? The authors' personal answers would have been great additions. Nevertheless, from the crucibles of their personal and professional life experiences, each author launches successfully into describing how to be an effective pastor.

The primary audience for both books is the professional and lay pastor. Besides pastors, other professionals, even staff members of psychiatric units, will find Gilbert's chapters on "The Minister's Own Mental Health" and "Taking Charge of Your Life" to be instructive. Although focusing on the pastor, Gilbert maintains that "Pastors should seek and cultivate every opportunity for strong, professional, and collegial relationships of respect and mutual appreciation." Health care professionals can derive insight into compassionate care from Bowman's chapters on the pastor's ministry to the dying and grieving.

Both works are written from a decidedly Christian perspective. Gilbert's references outside a Christian context are rare and awkward. For example, when he writes, "The pastor, priest, or rabbi can gently assist the parishioner," one wonders why rabbi would be mentioned in the context of a parishioner. Bowman has a section on ethnic differences that he limits to differences between blacks and whites, although other ethnic differences merit attention.

In Bowman's section called "Sacraments, Ordinances, and Rituals," he stresses the importance of learning from "other faith structures and practices." However, some inaccuracies about Jewish practice are included. For example, the author states it is important for the rabbi or synagogue leader to be present for the confession of the dying person. In Judaism, confession is important, but the dying person need not have a confessor. Further, the author's references to embalming and the timing of the funeral service are not in keeping with Jewish practice.

Bowman advances a strong theoretical background before delving into the issues of dying and grieving. His first chapters are excellent reviews of the relevant conceptual issues about development of faith and about family systems theory. He is perceptive in advising the pastor to keep such issues in mind with the dying patient and the grief sufferer; however, those issues rarely resurface in the book. Appropriate illustrations would have been most welcome.

Bowman is at his best in the final chapters where he delineates what the pastor does for the dying individual. To the author's credit, he demonstrates the professionalism of the pastor and the ways in which only the pastor is helpful to an individual in crisis.

Gilbert's book is a fine addition for pastors working with individuals suffering from depression. His chapters on how depression feels and on the roots of depression are more inviting than plowing through the salient material in DSM-IV. Gilbert's chapter on "The Subconscious and Depression" revolves around concepts of rage, dependency, and pessimism. As a result, the chapter suffers from a lack of clear focus. Oddly enough, Jung is not mentioned in the chapter. However, he is mentioned, of all places, under "God View" in the theology chapter, an irony that even Jung might have found amusing.

To his credit, Gilbert writes boldly. He is comfortable instructing pastors how to make an accurate diagnosis of depression and how to participate effectively in the treatment plan. Like Bowman, Gilbert has a chapter on the pastor as a unique caregiver. He states, "Only the pastor can fulfill certain therapeutic functions not available to anyone else." Although the roles of the pastor are clearly delineated, the tasks are more than ambitious. Most pastors cannot perform all the daunting tasks. For those of us who are pastors, we need the reminder of the formidable challenge, and Gilbert does caution the pastor not to take on too much.