Donald Capps

When a loved one is struck with psychosis, people often misunderstand what is happening and why. They may feel helpless or confused or frightened, not knowing what to do with or for the sufferer or how to handle the situation themselves. This book takes a look at psychosis and how it has been handled over the last century or so. Beginning with a definition of psychosis and moving to a consideration of how people who suffer from it were once institutionalized and are now expected to be cared for at home, the author traces the challenges families and communities face, considers the plight of sufferers and what they experience, and offers case examples throughout to illustrate the onset of psychosis, the infringement it makes on personal and professional life, and the toll it takes on sufferers and caregivers alike. Capps covers the magnitude of the problem, the treatment of sufferers, the warning signs, facts and realities of recovery, treatments, prevention, and coping strategies for family members and caregivers. Readers will come away from this work with a better understanding of psychosis in the context in which it occurs, and what to do for themselves and their loved one as they navigate daily life, the mental health system, and family dynamics.

Donald Capps' study fills a void in what is fast becoming a congested and redundant field of inquiry. Combining the best of historical scholarship with new insights drawn from psychological studies, he gives us a Jesus who is more than the sum of his words and deeds, a Jesus who feels, who relates, who experiences the world he seeks to transform even as he is inevitably transformed by it. - Mark Allan Powell, Trinity Lutheran Seminary Anyone who has wrestled seriously with the question of the personal identity of Jesus of Nazareth will want to wrestle with this book. It is the most ambitious (and demanding) argument to date for the usefulness of psychological theories and concepts in Jesus research. Capps has touched on the historical reality of Jesus of Nazareth in new, sobering ways that lend coherence and powerful illumination to aspects of the gospel record that have been shrouded in mystery and that could not have been illuminated by any other means. - Wayne Rollins, Assumption College Donald Capps' new book on Jesus is a stunning achievement. Capps proposes bold but sophisticated strategies for including psychological theories in the understanding and interpreting of Jesus. He marshals the resources of psychohistory, psychology of groups, and psychoanalytic theory to challenge our most cherished images of Jesus and invites exploration of previously neglected dimensions of Jesus' life and work. - Lewis Rambo, San Francisco Theological Seminary

You've Got to Be Kidding!: How Jokes Can Help You Think is a thoughtful and accessible analysis of the ways in which jokes illustrate how we think critically, and how the thinking process goes awry in everyday human situations. Uses jokes to illustrate the various mistakes or fallacies that are typically identified and discussed in courses on critical reasoningProvides an effective way to learn critical thinking skills since jokes often describe real-life situations where it really matters whether a person thinks well or notDemonstrates how philosophy is actually very practical and clearly related to real- life human experiencesExplains how developing good reasoning habits can make a real difference in all aspects of one's life

You've Got to Be Kidding!: How Jokes Can Help You Think is a thoughtful and accessible analysis of the ways in which jokes illustrate how we think critically, and how the thinking process goes awry in everyday human situations. Uses jokes to illustrate the various mistakes or fallacies that are typically identified and discussed in courses on critical reasoningProvides an effective way to learn critical thinking skills since jokes often describe real-life situations where it really matters whether a person thinks well or notDemonstrates how philosophy is actually very practical and clearly related to real- life human experiencesExplains how developing good reasoning habits can make a real difference in all aspects of one's life

In groundbreaking fashion Donald Capps builds on Erik Erikson's work on the eight stages of life by focusing on the decades of life. This important modification allows developmental theory to be applied to the way people discuss life stages--in ten-year periods. Capps integrates the insights of psychology with those of pastoral care to show pastors and students how the decades of life help us all to understand the journey of life.

All of the Gospels and the whole of Christian tradition depict Jesus as a miraculous healer who can cure blindness, leprosy, hemorrhages, and a host of other maladies. But how did Jesus actually heal? In this fascinating book, Donald Capps argues that Jesus was keenly attuned to the psychological causes of illness and through his ministry brought healing to body and soul alike. Capps argues that one of Jesus' purposes was to heal people from mental illnesses, which people in the ancient world would have seen manifested in physical ailments such as blindness, paralysis, or other symptoms. Fully engaged in historical Jesus scholarship, Capps carefully examines Jesus' deep concern for both physical and emotional health and shows how his proclamation of the kingdom of God envisioned a world without mental illness.

The early years of adolescence are a tumultuous time, full of challenges and opportunities that can shape one's whole life. In recent years several books have analyzed this period of life for girls, but this is the first book that investigates the interior life of boys as they develop their sense of self and begin the spiritual journey that will carry them throughout their lives. The authors contend that adolescent boys often experience themselves at various times as losers, loners, and rebels. As self-defined losers, boys begin to realize self-awareness; as loners they begin to understand their own relatedness to the larger world; as rebels they gain a sense of self-sufficiency. Through these common experiences of life, boys gain self-awareness, self-transcendence, and self-sufficiency, concepts that take root in the spirituality that will last their lifetime.

Religion is impoverished when it fails to reveal and develop the humerous aspect of itself. Humor is a part of the tough tissue of religion that binds our hearts together in love, worship, or fellowship/community. Often, however, humor is negatively affected by religion, or religious people are allergic to humor. Capps, who is dean of studies in religion and psychology in the United States, tries in this book to show the ways in which humor can be recovered for religion. He argues that religion is diminished when it fails to understand and embrace its own historical connection - much of it dating to biblical days - to humor itself. His chapters deal with topics ranging from humor as an expression of intimacy to humor as the maintenance of the soul. "This is an exceptionally good-natured book, likely to persuade you that religion and humor have more affinity for one another than you'd imagined. The author's affable style carries a formidable learning which is never intrusive." -Ted Cohen, Professor of Philosophy, University of Chicago, and author of Jokes: Philosophical Thoughts on Joking Matters

Five historic ministersfive formative career pathswhich path are you on?According to Daniel Levinson’s developmental theory, each person’s professional career path forms at the same time in their life, in their 20s and 30s. Young Clergy: A Biographical and Developmental Study applies Levinson’s study to ministerial practice, mapping the career patterns of five historical ministers during that time period in each life. The author clearly presents deep psychological insightssupported by solid biographical information on each minister’s actions and reactions to challengesillustrating how the theory holds relevance for young professional clergy even today.Young Clergy: A Biographical and Developmental Study reviews each minister’s Novice Phase, where the major tasks of forming a dream, forming mentor relationships, and forming an occupation are presentedand stringently supported by concrete biographical events. The book then shows how this phase leads each from their early adult transition through their entrance into the adult world, and then on to the life-altering events in the Age 25 Shift and the Age 30 Transition. From there the text reveals the formative Settling Down Period through events that unfold between the ages of 33-40. The author discusses how this period determines the subsequent course of each one’s career and, more importantly, shapes each one’s attitudes, values, and convictions of a life as a minister. Using fascinating biographical information from multiple sources, the author builds a well-reasoned case that no matter how long ago these important men lived, their career patterns and lives hold a wealth of insightful information to help you maximize strengths and minimize liabilities in your own career and life today.Young Clergy: A Biographical and Developmental Study closely examines these five historical figure’s biographies, and reviews each applicable theoretical career path: Phillips Brooksadvancement within a stable life structure Jonathan Edwardsdecline or failure within a stable structure John Henry Newmanbreaking outtrying for a new structure John Wesleyadvancement produces change in life structure Orestes Brownsonunstable life structure Young Clergy: A Biographical and Developmental Study is an in-depth historical and psychological exploration of the lives of ministers and their relevance for present day clergy, perfect for professors, seminary deans of students, field education directors and their staffs, hospital chaplains involved in vocation issues, young pastors and their pastoral supervisors, and teachers of church history.

Five historic ministersfive formative career pathswhich path are you on?According to Daniel Levinson’s developmental theory, each person’s professional career path forms at the same time in their life, in their 20s and 30s. Young Clergy: A Biographical and Developmental Study applies Levinson’s study to ministerial practice, mapping the career patterns of five historical ministers during that time period in each life. The author clearly presents deep psychological insightssupported by solid biographical information on each minister’s actions and reactions to challengesillustrating how the theory holds relevance for young professional clergy even today.Young Clergy: A Biographical and Developmental Study reviews each minister’s Novice Phase, where the major tasks of forming a dream, forming mentor relationships, and forming an occupation are presentedand stringently supported by concrete biographical events. The book then shows how this phase leads each from their early adult transition through their entrance into the adult world, and then on to the life-altering events in the Age 25 Shift and the Age 30 Transition. From there the text reveals the formative Settling Down Period through events that unfold between the ages of 33-40. The author discusses how this period determines the subsequent course of each one’s career and, more importantly, shapes each one’s attitudes, values, and convictions of a life as a minister. Using fascinating biographical information from multiple sources, the author builds a well-reasoned case that no matter how long ago these important men lived, their career patterns and lives hold a wealth of insightful information to help you maximize strengths and minimize liabilities in your own career and life today.Young Clergy: A Biographical and Developmental Study closely examines these five historical figure’s biographies, and reviews each applicable theoretical career path: Phillips Brooksadvancement within a stable life structure Jonathan Edwardsdecline or failure within a stable structure John Henry Newmanbreaking outtrying for a new structure John Wesleyadvancement produces change in life structure Orestes Brownsonunstable life structure Young Clergy: A Biographical and Developmental Study is an in-depth historical and psychological exploration of the lives of ministers and their relevance for present day clergy, perfect for professors, seminary deans of students, field education directors and their staffs, hospital chaplains involved in vocation issues, young pastors and their pastoral supervisors, and teachers of church history.

What role should the Bible play in pastoral counseling? Donald Capps here explores the use of the Bible in counseling and shows how the methods and objectives of counseling can be defined and shaped by three biblical forms: psalms, proverbs, and parables. Applying these forms, Capps demonstrates how the Bible can influence the three major types of pastoral counseling -- grief, premarital, and marriage. He examines the capacity of these forms to comfort, to instruct, and to diagnose problems. He explains how through psalms feelings can be vented, through proverbs moral learning can take place, and through parables new understandings of experience can occur. With actual case study examples and practical suggestions, this refreshingly perceptive book offers positive steps for furthering dialogue between biblical scholarship and pastoral counseling.

Are men more or less religious than women, and in what way? In Men and Their Religion, Donald Capps brings to life men's engagement with religion and provides insights into the rapid rise of men's religious organizations such as Promise Keepers.Capps says that men are just as religious as women, but in a different way. The religiousness of men is rooted in a deep sense of melancholy, a sense originating when they are small boys separating emotionally from their mothers. Fathers also play a part in the religious development of men. The Judaeo-Christian tradition, Capps argues, requires the sacrifice of father-son love because the Father God is a jealous God, allowing no rivals. So for boys, the hoped-for attachment to their fathers never happens.As a result of this loss, the religion of men takes three forms: the religion of honor, the religion of hope, and the religion of humor. Capps uses two case studies to show the ways in which men with religious melancholia may develop a compensating religion of honor on one hand and a religion of hope on the other. Finally, religious melancholy can be countered through humor, and Capps concludes that if men had their way there would be more humor in religion and humor would be recognized as religious.Donald Capps is Professor of Pastoral Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary. His books include Jesus: A Psychological Biography, Freud and Freudians on Religion, Men, Religion, and Melancholia, and Social Phobia: Alleviating Anxiety in an Age of Self-promotion. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Capps explains how people story their lives -- inspirationally, paradoxically, or miraculously, then shows pastors how they can help people discover their own story discern its shape and direction, and move constructively to find new understandings or possibilities.