ABSTRACT

Despite tendencies among some Christians to ostracize people with mental illness, the Christian emphasis on love for one’s neighbor discourages such stigma. This article reviewed the empirical research literature on two components of mental illness stigma, blame and social distancing, and offered commentary in proposing a more nuanced view informed by Christian theology. In regards to blame, Scriptural warnings about the risks of false, harsh, or oppressive blaming indicate considerable agreement with the research literature’s concerns about blaming. At the same time, the importance of moral responsibility in Christian theology suggests that some forms of rebuke, if done gently with concern for the well-being of the person, can promote a sense of responsibility and efforts to change problematic behavior. In regards to social distancing, the practices of hospitality and fellowship, especially toward those who are in need or oppressed, are crucial aspects of Christ’s teaching. Nevertheless, theological perspectives seem to suggest that exclusion, rather than mere distancing, was the primary concern of Scripture, as boundaries are often necessary to protect against harm toward other members of the community. Important lessons for Christians from the psychological literature on stigma toward mental illness are reviewed.

摘要

尽管一些基督徒倾向于排斥患有精神疾病的人，但基督徒对爱邻人的强调不鼓励这种污名化。本文回顾了关于精神疾病耻辱、责备和社会疏远两个组成部分的实证研究文献，并就基督教神学提出更细致入微的观点提供了评论。关于责备，圣经关于虚假、严厉或压迫性责备风险的警告表明与研究文献对责备的担忧相当一致。同时，道德责任在基督教神学中的重要性表明，某些形式的责备，如果出于对人福祉的关心而温和地进行，可以促进责任感和努力改变有问题的行为。关于社交距离，款待和团契的做法，尤其是对那些需要或受压迫的人，是基督教导的重要方面。然而，神学观点似乎表明，排斥，而不仅仅是疏远，是圣经的主要关注点，因为界限通常是必要的，以防止对社区其他成员造成伤害。回顾了心理学文献中关于对精神疾病的污名化对基督徒的重要教训。