Don't Just Give Me That Old Time Religion (Wiley)
Coming this spring!
Making a way out of no way
"That old time religion" has long been a space of empowerment for African American women. In the community of the Black Church and through spiritual practices, Black women have found comfort and strength through life's storms. Their faith has been a source of mental wellbeing.
Yet the Black experience of religion is not monolithic. Stereotypes and assumptions can hinder the mental health care that Black women receive. "That old time religion" may not be a sufficient coping mechanism without clinical psychological support. "That old time religion" may even be the source of stress, perpetuating sexism or homophobia or violence against Black women. Therefore:
to attend to Black women's wellbeing—including and especially their mental health—requires attention to their stories of religion and spirituality.
In her important new book, Don't Just Give Me That Old Time Religion, pastor and psychotherapist Christine Y. Wiley considers the intersection of Black women's lived spirituality and their mental wellbeing. Sharing her own stories as well as her interviews with Black women, Wiley advocates for the essential role of each woman's unique spiritual story in her quest for self-understanding and wholeness.
As the title declares: "Don't just give me that old time religion" is the cry of Black women for spiritual and mental wellbeing, knit together wholly, affirmed in communities of faith and clinical practices alike, with goodness and hope against the torrent of injustice.
Preorder today! Don't Just Give Me That Old Time Religion: Religion and Mental Well-being among African American Women ships this spring.
About the Author
Christine Y. Wiley, PhD, has worked for more than 40 years as a pastor and a psychotherapist. At the intersection of religion and mental health, she has worked with African American women from all socioeconomic classes who are dealing with various traumas and historical traumas. Dr. Wiley is Pastor Emerita of Covenant Baptist UCC in Washington, DC, and a practicing psychotherapist who teaches at Howard University.
Paperback: 152 pages
978-0-8298-0065-4
2025