“We can rest in the fact that Christ is never scandalized by our despair, or alarmed to find us sunk in the abyss. For Christ the deep ocean trenches are neither forbidden nor catastrophic. They’re just another location in God’s vast, mercy-filled cosmos.”
— Christ in the Abyss
Christ in the Abyss
For many years, I worried that God was disappointed in me for not being able to get over depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
I wrote Christ in the Abyss (NavPress, 2026) to encourage people who need more than the sunny faith cultures we often see in the church, for others who struggle with doubt, depression, or despair. This book isn’t just for people facing mental health challenges but also for Christian leaders, counselors, and those who wonder if God’s mercy is great enough to meet them where they are. It’s for the whole community of faith.
Throughout this book, I tell of encounters and insights that have contributed to my soul’s sustaining and have made living with depression less excruciating over time. The reflection questions at the end of each chapter make this a wonderful, user-friendly spiritual formation resource for individuals and groups.
My hope is that Christ in the Abyss will be a balm for many, that it will spark conversation and serve as a catalyst for more solace and companionship in the deep, and more awareness that our Christ of all compassion is always with us. May we be less afraid of the depths and friendlier to all who dwell there (including our own selves)!
Order your copy wherever books are sold!
More Praise for Christ in the Abyss
Neely offers a deeply vulnerable and courageous glimpse into her interior world, weaving her experiences of depression and bipolar diagnosis with reflections on God, church, and faith. This book is powerful and deeply moving and will resonate with anyone who has struggled or who loves someone navigating mental health challenges. Neely’s words offer hope, compassion, and empowerment and remind us that even in our most difficult seasons, God remains merciful, accepting, and loving.
GRACE JI-SUN KIM, professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion and author
Jean Neely courageously breaks the silence and shame surrounding chronic mental illness and suffering with the good news that God does not abandon us—even when we do not get better. Too often we only share stories of deep struggle after we have been healed. With brave vulnerability, Jean writes about finding God—and God’s love pursuing her—in the abyss of bipolar disorder. Her story is a profound gift to all who suffer or love someone who suffers from mental illness. I urge you to receive this gift!
KATHY TUAN-MACLEAN, PhD, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship faculty ministry national director
With candor and courage, Jean Neely shows us what depression can look like when self-rejection takes a spiritual turn and when evangelical Christian expectations of piety combine with perfectionist pressures from immigrant church cultures. In this beautiful book, Neely guides readers on a journey into the abyss with her as she experiences anguish, peace, and wonder in her life. Readers will be uplifted as they see how a person of faith can work through trauma, find grace in community, and construct new language for God in the midst of healing.
G R AC E Y. K AO, professor of ethics at Claremont School of Theology