One of the things Judith Weisenfeld’s book Black Religion in the Madhouse reveals is the clash between white psychiatry and mental health care and Black expressions of religious fervor that may or may not have had mental health roots. The inability of white mental health care givers to comprehend the Black psyche before and after the Civil War is nothing new. The inability of psychiatry to be self-reflective in its efforts to understand or reestablish Black life to an antebellum state shouldn’t be amazing but it is.

Black religious autonomy after the Civil War was suspect because of pre-conceived prejudices against Black self-possession and religious revelation. Any act or belief not within the framework of white Christianity which had upheld enslavement was relegated to the idea of insanity, primitivism, superstition etc. When Blacks did manifest religious fervor as it might be called it was automatically relegated to some “insanity.” The hearing of voices namely God, root work or conjure which is an African derivative spiritual belief etc. was suspect. Anything non-white centered is called insanity. In addition, white caregivers never saw themselves as the problem.

Notably anyone claiming to hear voices is not new in the history of religious and spiritual beliefs worldwide. The fact that the hearer was Black was automatically suspect. Too often the nature of what was being heard was rebellious against the system of racism that had embedded itself in the American culture and psyche. Many white medical professionals automatically distrusted such instruction and wanted to return Blacks to the system of enslavement claiming that freedom had basically run them crazy. Given switching from a totalitarian system of enslavement to freedom is mind blowing and calls for a shift in consciousness especially when fending for yourself is also a personal matter and you don’t have the cover of white presence or forty acres and a mule to take care of yourself and your family. Rather re-enslavement is thought to be the answer.

Although it’s no laughing matter but humorous just the same was the Liberty County incident of religious believers coming together. One leader is taken away and declared insane only to be replaced by another who is also taken away then another. Whites were fearful of religious leaders who pulled together as Black congregants without them as center or guide. Always accusations of lust, orgies and abuse followed Black congregations as if white congregations did not have their own issues. The racialized bodies of Blacks were always the haint of Black congregations. Many of these offshoot religious groups had rejected more accepting religious practices that Black congregations had to accommodate white fears. There were some class issues here too with the Black community.

Over time, the racialization of insanity did become an issue with people like James H. Robinson and his naming of the need for “mental hygiene” with Blacks. Some religious leaders in Harlem realized that their congregations needed more than Christian counseling but had nowhere to send their people creating a gap in spiritual and mental access for Blacks.

Spiritual splinter groups like Father Divine were also harassed and studied for their aberrations from white religious beliefs. Some of his followers were studied for claiming to hear voices or having messiah complexes. Not that this wasn’t found amongst whites. It was the fact of race along with a messianic complex that made whites feel threatened. Sadly, the psychiatric profession hasn’t evolved very far when it comes to looking at Blacks and mental health and religious and spiritual propensities. Whites are always the rule for sanity when their sins are cosmic. Black Religion in the Madhouse is a great read and eye opening as I’d never thought about religion/spirituality, mental health and it’s framing of Black folks in or out of a historical context. I cant help but wonder how well any Black person put in a “crazy house” was treated. I know the abuse was there because of their race. Black Religion in the Madhouse does offer a jumping off point to really recognize how far we have not come in mental hygiene and the access to good mental and physical health care in a capitalist society. Read it!

Since I have always been interested in both mental illness and its manifestations of religious experience, I was eager to read this book. The treatment of people with mental illnesses has a very dismal past. This book provides us with a much-needed perspective on how African Americans with mental illnesses are treated, specifically how physicians pathologize Black religious experiences by using their beliefs or manifestations of those beliefs.In addition to being incredibly well-written and researched, the book is heartbreaking, particularly when we consider the trajectory of history—from the state hospitals of the past to the prisons of the present. Early access to therapy and, if required, psychiatrists who can accept people as unique persons with diverse experiences and cultural peculiarities without stereotyping and stamping is vital in all communities, but particularly in underserved ones. I have been dealing with a mental disease for more than 40 years, thus this book did hit my heart since it handles the matter in a very sympathetic way.

Wow, this was my first book by this author and I would for sure read more. I love exploring religion, as well as mental house. This gives a good detailed explanation and exploration of both.

There were so many things in this book I had not yet encountered. I love learning new things, even sad and dark things. How can we be better without this?
Thank you so much for this ARC.

I received a free ebook in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I work in mental health. I enjoy reading books on mental health. I was excited to read this book.

I really wanted to read this book. I thought I would enjoy this book. The book talked mainly about the racist beliefs of psychiatrists in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I know psychiatrists were racist (and sexist). I expected the book would talk about it. I didn't think most of the book would talk about how racist these institutions and doctors were at the time. It was difficult to want to read more of the book.

The book was too long. The chapters were quite long. I forced myself to finish the book. The book didn't keep you wanting to read and learn more. I honestly didn't know why the author wrote the book. Books are usually meant to educate us ( in fiction, examine a life or make a statement). I am not sure what the authors goal was.

The only part of the book I liked was the part, that talked about Father Divine. I had never heard of this cult. People who join cults fascinate me. I wish there was more talk of this cult in the book.

The book tried to close in a positive manner. It was the last 25 pages. It just seemed to late for me.

I am thankful for the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I hope other people like the book more than I did

"Black Religion in the Madhouse" is a timely and crucial read. As a social worker striving to dismantle stigma within a field historically rife with it, I found Judith Weisenfeld's examination of how racial bias shaped psychiatric practices in the post-slavery South deeply disturbing, yet essential. Weisenfeld exposes how white psychiatrists used "religious excitement" to pathologize African American spiritual practices, leading to disproportionate institutionalization and reinforcing harmful stereotypes about Black people's capacity for self-determination. This book provides vital historical context for understanding the ongoing disparities in mental healthcare and underscores the urgent need for culturally competent, anti-racist practices. It's a must-read for anyone in the mental health field and anyone seeking to understand the roots of systemic racism in healthcare.