Adventures in Soulmaking by Dr. Troy Caldwell

This is a fascinating book, and may be of interest to many people.  I enjoyed the stories and the concepts.  And I’m sure Dr. Caldwell has been a great blessing to his patients and directees. However, as I read, I kept feeling very cautious and concerned about the purpose and impact of the book. 

I’m not sure the book fulfills what is perhaps its most important intended purpose for several reasons.  Dr. Caldwell does tell stories, wonderfully; he does convey to a “wider audience” an understanding of patterns in the Christian spiritual passage; and this book may encourage readers to take a more conscious spiritual journey.  And it may inspire other helping professionals, pastors and spiritual directors to explore further the concepts contained within it (p. 7). But I felt a lot of concern about whether the book could really serve to provide “tools” for this kind of work. As a spiritual director myself, and as a person who has a wide experience of therapies for healing and spiritual growth, I would be very hesitant to undertake most of these techniques (except under inspiration from God and with careful consultation with a clinician) as I believe some of them have the potential for results which need the attention of a clinician of Dr. Caldwell’s high caliber.  I would also be hesitant (and prayerful) about whether to recommend this to Christians unless they were at the point of seeking the deeper connections Dr. Caldwell describes.  Less mature Christians might find this book to be challenging and distracting from their formation as disciples, which must occur before seeking to go deeper in ways that God directs. I would rely on prayerful discernment about any recommendations.

One other concern I felt was that sometimes Dr. Caldwell’s assertions, particularly about Jungian concepts, do not leave room for the breadth of interpretation which Jung generally intended.  For example, I do not believe that equating the Shadow with sin is an adequate understanding of the Shadow, which is not always a negative part of our psyche, but may also be the “seat of creativity.”

I also found the book to be awkwardly designed and not as well organized as I would hope such a book would be.  Indices of concepts, scripture passages, and stories would be very helpful. And I kept wondering how a professional editor and book designer would have helped this to become a more coherent book which flows well from beginning to end.

I wish that I could be more positive about this book.  The intention and the aspirations for such a book are much needed. I do recommend it as a fascinating book to read, but do not believe it meets its goals in a way that would make it as ground-breaking and time-tested as Gerald May’s work in this area.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,Part 255.