Mental Disorders and Spiritual Healing: Teachings from the Early Christian East

Psychology Holistic Health Spiritual Healing Integrative Medicine Psychiatry Christian Mysticism Eastern Orthodoxy Patristics

Mental Disorders and Spiritual Healing: Teachings from the Early Christian East by Jean-Claude Larchet is a sought-after 2005 Perennis softcover that bridges psychiatry, psychology, and patristic wisdom. In 180 tightly-bound, unmarked pages, Larchet—one of the most respected contemporary interpreters of Eastern Christianity—shows how desert fathers, hesychast saints, and Byzantine clinicians understood anxiety, depression, obsession and psychosomatic illness not only as medical issues but as opportunities for transformative prayer, ascetic discipline, and sacramental healing. Readers looking for alternatives to purely pharmacological or secular-therapeutic models discover here a time-tested integrative vision that still informs modern Orthodox psychotherapy.

Collectors value this first English edition (ISBN 9781597310451) for its rarity in pristine condition; this copy shows only light cover wear and a small top-edge mark, with pages clean, edges un-dog-eared, and the binding square—ideal for both reference shelf and daily spiritual reading. At 9" x 6" it fits easily into a backpack or coat pocket, making the ancient teachings accessible to young-adult and adult seekers alike. Whether you are a clinician, pastor, or layperson exploring the nexus of soul and psyche, Larchet’s clear, non-technical style delivers patristic insights on mindfulness, logismoi (intrusive thoughts), and the healing power of humility that anticipate and enrich today’s cognitive-behavioral and trauma-sensitive therapies.

Because the book is already out of print and in high demand among seminary students, holistic-health practitioners, and Eastern-Christian enquirers, well-preserved copies move quickly on the secondary market. Owning this title now means securing a concise but authoritative reference that will not be re-issued soon, and that rewards each re-reading with practical steps—ancient yet startlingly modern—for restoring mental balance through spiritual life.

Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.