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Christianity and Mental Health

News--John Dickson Bible Study

I went to Porter-Gaud Bible Study on Wednesday not just for pizza and an Australian accent, but also for the wise words of John Dickson. I am the type of person who tends to follow my head not my heart. Therefore, I found the intellectual logic and information that Dr. Dickson offered particularly satisfying.

In Bible study he first explained the mental health benefits of Christianity. I know so many people who struggle with mental health issues, and it is so prevalent in our society. While Christianity does not completely solve mental health issues, the statistics certainly show that it helps. It gives us purpose, meaning, hope, and joy, all things that our society lacks. Christianity offers us complete forgiveness, regardless of what we have done, whereas in other religions, salvation is based off of what they have accomplished. This truth matters especially for this performance-based world.

Secondly, he proved how intellectually satisfying Christianity is. From the quality and trustworthiness of ancient sources of Jesus’ life, to the information confirmed by modern day scholars, we do not have to “turn our brains off” to accept the realness of Jesus. The New Testament is the most historically accurate ancient source because it was written very soon after Jesus’ life, it has other sources that it can be compared to, and there are many copies.

For me, it is so important that I feel solid in my faith both intellectually and spiritually as I navigate this secular world. I am very thankful for John Dickson’s presence in our community, as it raised many questions from students and elicited fruitful conversations.

John Dickson’s busy week in Charleston included speaking engagements at Porter-Gaud and the College of Charleston, and two Sundays at St. Philip’s as guest preacher and speaker. On February 12, he delivered “A Doubter’s Guide to the Christian Faith: A Defense of the Things All Christians Agree On” to a packed Parish Hall. His sermons and talks at St. Philip’s are available on our website, stphilipschurchsc.org/sermons-classes.

News--John Dickson Doubter's Guide