Religious Melancholy and Protestant Experience in America

"The topic of melancholy and depression is certainly a central one for American Protestants and others, and this book provides an historical overview that will be of interest and use to many people in various professions."--Philip Greven, Rutgers University "A fascinating, thought-provoking book....Should spur considerable debate."--Christian Century "Historians will appreciate the insight that Rubin brings in his fresh reading of selected materials from American religious history."--History "A valuable scholarly contribution."--Journal of American History "A masterly piece of research. All credit must go to Julius H. Rubin for the way he has marshalled his evidence to validate his thesis. This evidence consists of well documented historical biography and autobiography, unpublished diaries, fascinating case studies of patients treated in nineteenth century asylums and other material old and new that he has carefully unearthed."--Churchman "The topic of melancholy and depression is certainly a central one for American Protestants and others, and this book provides an historical overview that will be of interest and use to many people in various professions."--Philip Greven, Rutgers University "A fascinating, thought-provoking book....Should spur considerable debate."--Christian Century "Historians will appreciate the insight that Rubin brings in his fresh reading of selected materials from American religious history."--History "A valuable scholarly contribution."--Journal of American History "A masterly piece of research. All credit must go to Julius H. Rubin for the way he has marshalled his evidence to validate his thesis. This evidence consists of well documented historical biography and autobiography, unpublished diaries, fascinating case studies of patients treated in nineteenth century asylums and other material old and new that he has carefully unearthed."--Churchman "I strongly recommend this book."--The Journal of Religion "This book should raise considerable debate and refinement of [Rubin's] thesis and for this reason should be considered a welcome addition to the scholarship of American Evangelical Protestantism."--The Cresset "[A] thought-provoking book....This fascinating book has created a fresh new perspective on the Protestant experience. Rubin moves easily between social science theory and an intriguing array of case studies....An important interdisciplinary study. Religious Melancholy and Protestant Experience in America sheds new light and will inspire considerable debate on the relationship between psychology and religious experience in the American Protestant past."--Journal of Social History "[A] fascinating study..."--Religious Studies Review