A Biblical Critique of the DSM-IV

In this article, John Babler argues that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) seeks to develop a “diagnosis” that explains the “symptoms” of a wide range of human experience. But the Scripture speaks clearly and transformationally to each of the symptoms, without presuming the validity of the diagnosis. Babler treats in detail four examples: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Babler argues that the DSM takes the focus off the sins that God can forgive and change. Babler concludes that Scripture provides the proper ground for understanding so-called mental disorders.