A Pelican of the Wilderness

After serving for more than thirty years as a parish minister, the author was hospitalized with major depression. This is the story of his depression and recovery--a recovery of health, vocation, and faith. First, Griggs regained the experience of small pleasures. Eventually, he recovered the ability to choose, to set limits, and to accept reality. He then turned to the biblical Psalms--indeed his own writing echoes their candor. But he also found hope in films, including Breakfast at Tiffany's and Blazing Saddles. To the mental health issues facing clergy and others in the helping professions Griggs brings to bear insights from research and from his own experience as a pastor and a person recovering from depression. He tells his story with spirit and humor.

"A profound and engaging account of the author's journey back from a crushing depression with the help of interaction with other patients, the honesty of diverse psalms, the insights of imaginative films, and the creative ideas of progressive theologians."
--Ian G. Barbour, author of When Science Meets Religion

"It is remarkable that the Psalms are transportable from ancient context to contemporary context. Robert Griggs has deftly transported them into his own story of depression, anguish, and recovery of health, life, and faith. This book offers honest, courageous testimony, the telling of a life that will encourage others to tell their lives with truth and live in hope."
--Walter Brueggemann, author of Praying the Psalms


Robert Griggs is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and has served churches in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Minnesota. He holds graduate degrees from Harvard Divinity School, the University of Minnesota, and Andover Newton Theological School.