I first met the Rev. Dr. Monica Coleman<\/a> at a \u201cTheology after Google\u201d conference\u00a0at the Claremont School of Theology nearly seven years ago. Her talk was on \u201cfinding Easter in the Google-verse\u201d and I remember being particularly struck by her passionate presence and spirit. I\u2019ve often reached out to Monica\u00a0since to write for us at Patheos, and the\u00a0more I\u2019ve learned about her, especially with regards to her lifelong\u00a0journey with trauma and depression, the deeper my fondness and respect has become. Her blog on faith and depression, graciously named The Beautiful Mind Blog<\/a>, is a salve for many Christians struggling with mental illness. Over the years,\u00a0she has also inspired me with her\u00a0passion for her scholarship, for the Black Church, for parenting, and for her healthy and holistic cooking, which she often shares about through photos and recipes on her Facebook page.<\/p>\n Dr. Coleman\u00a0teaches theology and African-American religions at Claremont School of Theology in Claremont (CST), CA, and\u00a0was recently promoted to the position of full professor\u2014making her the first African-American woman full professor at CST. Her writings cover the topics of sexual and domestic violence, mental health and religious pluralism. She is also an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and a sought-after speaker and preacher. In 2005, The African American Pulpit<\/em> named Coleman one of the \u201cTop 20 to Watch\u2014The New Generation of Leading Clergy: Preachers under 40.\u201d<\/p>\n Coleman\u2019s\u00a0newest book, Biploar Faith<\/a>,<\/em> is both a\u00a0spiritual autobiography and memoir of madness \u2014 the book she\u00a0says she\u00a0was hoping to find when she was first diagnosed with bipolar II, a mental illness. \u201cThere are few memoirs about any kind of depression written by African-Americans,\u201d Coleman says about the book, \u201cand none on living with bipolar II. I really wanted to show how my cultural history made a difference in how my family understood and experienced depression.\u201d<\/p>\n We invited Coleman to share more about her work, her faith and her new book\u00a0as part of our Patheos 10+1 Q&A series<\/a>, in which we ask the\u00a0same 10 questions of Christian game-changers and thought-leaders who are inspiring us today. Monica\u2019s\u00a0responses are below.<\/p>\n What, in the broadest sense, is your work in the world?<\/strong><\/p>\n My work is to teach a faith that liberates individuals and communities into knowing that they can be true to their experiences in the world while being deeply faithful and striving for justice. I do\u00a0this when I\u2019m teaching theology and philosophy to graduate students and we examine the\u00a0diversity of religious traditions or construct theology that is transformative for today\u2019s context. I\u00a0also do this in public lectures, workshops and sermons when I speak out about how experiences\u00a0of mental health and violence shape our lives, work and faith.<\/p>\n I am energized most by the opportunities I have to offer other people the things I so desperately\u00a0needed. Sometimes I get to tell a story of how one can live beyond trauma and pain with a deep\u00a0faith and cultural connection. Other times, I hear the humanity of my students before mandating\u00a0the requirements of their educational program. Every chance to highlight the best of faith and\u00a0culture in the service of transforming our personal and societal lives fuels me. Professionally,<\/p>\n I\u2019m excited about the release of my memoir Bipolar Faith<\/a><\/em> and opening a conversation on the\u00a0complex relationship of faith, culture and mental health.<\/p>\n Personally, parenting my preschool-age\u00a0daughter slows me down, forces creativity and makes me more attentive as I get to re-discover\u00a0the world through her eyes.<\/p>\n What\u2019s inspiring your work right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n I am inspired by harnessing technology to share a liberating faith more widely. I engage\u00a0Periscope and share about spiritual practices that support faith in the midst of mental health\u00a0challenges. Showing up on video pushes me to be more vulnerable \u2013 which is both hard and\u00a0good. I often write about the importance of ritual in healing and integration. I\u2019m working on a\u00a0new online program that helps individuals develop rituals and spiritual practices for themselves.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the last book you read?<\/strong><\/p>\n Curious George 5 Minute Stories<\/em>. My preschool daughter is really into Curious George right\u00a0now. Curious George helps cultivate a sense of exploration and fearlessness. I also love to share\u00a0the pleasure of reading with my daughter.<\/p>\n What\u2019s something few people know about you?<\/strong><\/p>\n I share a lot about my life, but few people know how much I love Girl Scouting. I spent many of\u00a0my summers in junior high and high school as a counselor at Girl Scout Day Camp. My job was\u00a0to teach girls how to find appropriate firewood, build a fire and prepare a meal over it. I also\u00a0taught songs.<\/p>\n Why are you still a Christian?<\/strong><\/p>\n I love black church culture and many of my Christian experiences. They tap into a place in me\u00a0that is beyond reason and intellect, but strikes a deep core within me that is connected to the\u00a0divine. While being Christian is part of my family\u2019s heritage and my culture, the time still came\u00a0when I made conscious and intentional choices about my own faith commitments. I like Jesus as\u00a0a teacher and healer and liberator. I love that Jesus embodies Emmanuel, God with us. I also\u00a0have long experienced Christianity as enveloping, liberating and revolutionary. When I learned\u00a0more about the history of Christianity and the various cultures and beliefs that inform the faith,\u00a0the more excited I became about Christianity. I find it freeing to know that there are many ways\u00a0to be faithful, many ways to be Christian \u2013 and there always have been.<\/p>\n What\u2019s your favorite theological word?<\/strong><\/p>\n Soteriology.<\/em> I love that the root word is salve, health, wholeness, well-being. These are my\u00a0personal, social and justice goals. When I worked with the Faith and Order Commission of the\u00a0National Council of Churches, I learned from brothers and sisters across Christianity \u2013 from\u00a0Eastern Orthodox churches to Pentecostal<\/a> communions. I saw up close how salvation includes\u00a0grace, becoming divine, sacrifice, love, justification, sanctification, holiness and justice. I believe\u00a0that these are both the methods and ideals of Christian faith.<\/p>\n How do you pray?<\/strong><\/p>\n Most of my prayers are non-contemplative. I communicate with God while I listen to gospel\u00a0music while cycling. I sing spirituals and the music of \u201cSweet Honey in the Rock\u201d to lull my\u00a0daughter to sleep. I cook vegan meals for strong health. I care for my family by cultivating\u00a0memorable experiences for them. I feel the texture of rocks with my daughter when she runs\u00a0through the park. I see and experience God in my every day activities. I offer these parts of my\u00a0life as both a testament and opportunity for intimacy with God.<\/p>\n What\u2019s a guilty pleasure?<\/strong><\/p>\n A friend gave me an ice cream and sorbet maker, and I really like to make homemade vegan ice\u00a0cream.<\/p>\n What\u2019s one cause you\u2019d like more people to know about\/support<\/strong>?<\/p>\n I am committed to making the knowledge of religious scholars accessible to a wider public. I feel\u00a0that many people lose faith because they don\u2019t know that there are theological options to\u00a0classical or fundamental Christianity. I had to learn a lot of philosophy and classical theology to understand process theology as a progressive theological option. As Director of Process and\u00a0Faith<\/a>, I strive to make process theology available to people of faith. We do this in blogs, online\u00a0classes and conferences and liturgical materials. I would like people to know that there are many\u00a0ways to be faithful, including a way that integrates suffering, science and justice with a\u00a0meaningful spirituality.<\/p>\n![\"headshots-monica-1007-R\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/101\/2016\/07\/headshots-monica-1007-R.jpg\")
<\/a>\u201cI would like churches to talk about mental health the same ways we talk about every other health\u00a0challenge. I would like us to combine prayer with other medical and social services that help\u00a0people. I would like for us to affirm that health challenges are not a reflection of the depth of\u00a0one\u2019s faithfulness. I\u2019d like us to cultivate communities that can hold grief, pain, anxiety and the\u00a0inexplicable without sacrificing individual or cultural dignity.\u201d \u2014 Monica Coleman, pastor, professor and author<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/a>What are you most energized by, professionally or personally, at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n