About The Book
Don’t Just Give Me That Old Time Religion is based on research conducted with 20 African-American women from diverse backgrounds. Each chapter explores how these women define their own mental well-being and how they interpret and engage with religion in deeply personal ways. The book affirms the strength of Black women by revealing the insights they have discovered in their efforts to “make a way out of no way.”
Black women are the most religious demographic in the United States, but their experiences with religion are far from monolithic. For many, faith and the Black church have provided resilience and support through life’s storms. Yet for others, traditional religion has been a source of stress, especially when perpetuating sexism, homophobia, or violence.
Through personal interviews and reflective storytelling, Dr. Wiley unpacks the complex relationship between spirituality and mental health. Whether expressed through church, meditation, nature, or other spiritual practices, religion means something different to each woman. This book highlights the importance of honoring each woman’s individual experience and calls for a more nuanced, compassionate understanding of Black women’s spiritual and psychological well-being.
Ultimately, Don’t Just Give Me That Old Time Religion is a powerful cry for both spiritual and mental wholeness—sometimes affirmed within faith communities, sometimes found in clinical care, but always grounded in goodness, hope, and resistance to injustice.
About The Author
Christine Y. Wiley, PhD, has worked for more than 40 years as a pastor and a psychotherapist. At the intersection of religion and mental health, she has worked with African American women from all socioeconomic classes who are dealing with trauma, grief, and historical pain. Dr. Wiley is Pastor Emerita of Covenant Baptist UCC in Washington, DC. She has taught at several seminaries and universities and continues to walk alongside individuals on their journey toward healing and wholeness. She has also worked tirelessly for LGBT+ equality in her professional life and ministry.