THE PSYCHOSIS OF GOD
An Exploration of Mental Illness
Jeff Hood
Foreword by Emily Jean Hood
The Psychosis of God
An Exploration of Mental Illness
Copyright © 2016 Jeff Hood. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
Wipf & Stock
An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
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paperback isbn: 978-1-4982-9898-8
hardcover isbn: 978-1-4982-9900-8
ebook isbn: 978-1-4982-9899-5
Manufactured in the U.S.A. October 3, 2016
Scripture quotations are directly quoted or adapted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“Is the human brain created in the image of God, including the parts impacted by mental illness? Jeff Hood argues for a theology that takes seriously God’s intimate knowledge of mental illness, inviting us to see God suffering with us and saving us. At times disturbing and ultimately hopeful, this book is a welcomed addition to the conversation of the intersection of mental health and Christianity. Hood testifies to the expansive reach of God’s love, even into the most diseased and disordered parts of the brain.”
—Sarah Griffith Lund, Author of Blessed are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness, Family and Church
“The Reverend Dr. Jeff Hood has penned yet another uncomfortable book. For some, The Psychosis of God will prove unnerving because of the topic; for others, because of the writing itself, which borders on the manic; and for those of us who are non-theists, because of the unrelentingly theological approach. And yet, this is a worthwhile read, perhaps even a necessary one. Right and wrong, beauty and ugliness, angels and demons —all dualities are mere appearances, conceptual constructs arising, enduring briefly, and subsiding in the empty luminosity of the unborn mind. Dr. Hood invites us to visit this luminous perfection, this emptiness where all is possible, the good and the bad.”
—Tashi Nyima, New Jonang Buddhist Community
“While most of Christianity is stuck in an ableist theology of Platonic ideals, Rev. Hood seeks to provide liberation: liberation from thinking that our minds and bodies must be normalized, by showing us that even God has struggled. This book shows why it is vital to have theologies from marginalized and non-normative voices. May we all be challenged to see God’s image in ourselves.”
—Ember Kelley, Transgender Faith Activist
“In his newest book, Dr. Jeff Hood continues fulfilling his call to queer prophetic troublemaking. In the true spirit of liberation theology, Dr. Hood reminds us that God is with us, whether we’re perceived to be perfect or defective. God joins us in our psychosis because God is one of us.”
—Mike Wright-Chapman, Funeral Director
“Dr. Jeff Hood has done it again. He has both challenged and inspired while offering imagery that gives us a rare glimpse of the face of God. This book, as Hood describes it, is an exploration. While I agree that it is an exploration of God in the marginalization of the mentally ill, I also believe it is an exploration of the reader’s own soul. This text beckons us within, demands that we question our preconceived notions of the Divine, and takes us on a journey to discover the face of God in ways we have not; namely in those who experience mental illness. It is a telling and intimate look into a life and experience many have never seen. Hood bears his own vulnerability and should be applauded for kicking down the door of stigma. There is indeed a balm in Gilead...and for many, it will be found in this book.”
—Ray Jordan, United Church of Christ Pastor
“At once a broken laughing lament and a complex midrash for creation, The Psychosis of God embraces all the thrills and horrors of our craziness. Hood continues to press us into an every-expanding gallery of inclusive images of God and ourselves.”
—Imam La Trina Jackson, Islamic Thinker and Activist
“A raw and powerful account of suffering that passionately dismantles a construction of a rational God inherited from Judeo-Christian tradition.”
—Terry Barrett, Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University
“I am most aware of my own spiritual growth in the moments when I realize my personal relationship with God, and that of my neighbor, is far more personal than I could have ever imagined. Rev. Jeff Hood’s work to unveil the psychosis of God both illuminated another way in which God walks with us stride for stride, and reflects Rev. Hood’s dedication to the holy mission of creating space for heaven on earth.”
—Joe Swanson, American Civil Liberties Union
“Jeff Hood dares us to affirm the radical implications of our belief in both the Imago Dei and the Incarnation. If people with mental disorders are made in God’s likeness, then what, exactly, is the divine image being reflected? If God in Christ identifies with humanity, does God identify with us all the way down?”
—Matt Johnson, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Pastor
“This book is of work of courage and honesty and it is an important contribution to the task of re-membering the human family. The stigma, shame, and isolation directed towards so many has also eaten away at our capacity to come nearer to the incomprehensible person of God.”
—Lucas Johnson, International Pastor and Thinker
“Dr. Jeff Hood is pushing us to new enlightenment. He detangles what we tangle, and challenges us to be better lovers of one another.”
—Celeste Holbrook, Sex Therapist
“Jeff Hood always finds a way to make the deeply prophetic meet the deeply personal. In The Psychosis of God, his words offer comfort, challenge, and most of all, hope. He calls us to care and to believe that we are all the created, beloved ones of God.”
—Leah Grundset Davis, Communications Specialist, Alliance of Baptists
“The way Jeff Hood uses words will push you. It may anger you. However, if you can get past your anger and discomfort and allow the prophetic beauty of his words to resonate in your soul, you will be changed. Let Jeff take you beyond language to the mind of God.”
—Andrew Robinson, Recovering Pastor and Activist
“As the Father of a schizophrenic adult son, I’ve had many conversations with Jeff Hood on mental illness, and I have never left a conversation with him in which I didn’t learn something or question something. The same is true with this book. There are no solutions here. There are lots of questions. Questions that made me think.”
—Mike Renquist, President/Owner, OnSite Training and Consultation
“‘God is sick.’ So begins Jeff Hood’s challenging The Psychosis of God. It is a much-needed look at God through the lens of mental illness—both Jeff’s and God’s. Grounded in liberation theologies, which explore God through the lens of oppression and marginalization, and in queer theology, which maintains that God is found in those who are strange or non-normative, it will be especially helpful for those who are mentally ill. It will also be welcome for those who cherish hope-providing inventiveness in theology. This is an intensely personal volume which no one but Jeff could have written—desperate, off-the-chain, encouraging, and brave.