New Books in Christian Studies Madness & Acute Religious Experiences, with Richard Saville-Smith
Sep 4, 2025
Richard Saville-Smith, an independent scholar of madness and religion, explores the intriguing intersection of psychiatry and spirituality. He discusses his book 'Acute Religious Experiences,' arguing that we should rethink how religious experiences are perceived, moving away from pathologizing them. Richard offers a unique interpretation of Jesus as a madman and highlights the influence of queer studies on his work. He also examines the complexities of faith and mental health while advocating for a more inclusive understanding of spiritual experiences.
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Psychiatry's Power Over Religious Meaning
- Richard Saville-Smith argues psychiatry diminishes religious experience to gain power and control over meaning.
- He proposes 'acute religious experience' as mad but not pathological to restore phenomenological seriousness.
Mad But Not Pathological
- Saville-Smith situates acute religious experiences as 'mad' but not pathological, reclaiming the phenomenology of the crazy.
- This lets scholars stop sanitizing figures like shamans and acknowledge extremity in religious life.
Author's Personal Mad Experience
- Saville-Smith openly identifies as mad, recounting hospitalizations and a three-month episode in India.
- He frames madness as part of his identity and lived phenomenology rather than something to be fixed.
