Gerald Gordon May (June 12, 1940 – April 8, 2005) was an American

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

and

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

. He conducted workshops in contemplation and psychology, and wrote several books on how to combine spiritual direction with psychological treatment.

Early life

May was born June 12, 1940, in

Hillsdale, Michigan Hillsdale is the largest city and county seat of Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,036 at the 2020 census. The city is the home of Hillsdale College, a private liberal arts college noted for its academics ...

. He was the half-brother of the

existential Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...

psychologist

Rollo May Rollo Reece May (April 21, 1909 – October 22, 1994) was an American existential psychologist and author of the influential book '' Love and Will'' (1969). He is often associated with humanistic psychology and existentialist philosophy, ...

who was 30 years older. Their father died when May was nine years old. He did his undergraduate work at

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...

, graduating in 1962, and received a medical degree from

Wayne State University School of Medicine The Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM) is the medical school of Wayne State University, a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It enrolls more than 1,500 students in undergraduate medical education, master's degree, P ...

in 1965.

Career

May initially worked as an Air Force psychiatrist in Vietnam where he was a

conscientious objector A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...

and then became chief of inpatient services at

Andrews Air Force Base Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint B ...

. After he and his family moved to

Columbia, Maryland Columbia is a census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland. It is one of the principal communities of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. It is a planned community consisting of 10 self-contained villages. Columbia began with ...

, he worked on staff treating patients at the

Spring Grove Hospital Center Spring Grove Hospital Center, formerly known as Spring Grove State Hospital, is a psychiatric hospital located in the Baltimore, Maryland, suburb of Catonsville. Founded in 1797 as a general medical and psychiatric retreat, Spring Grove Mental ...

and Patuxent Correctional Mental Health Center of the Maryland state prisons system. In 1973, May joined the

Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation __NOTOC__ The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation is a Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ...

in Bethesda, Maryland, where he eventually became a senior fellow conducting workshops in contemplative theology and psychology. May wrote several books which advanced his views on combining

spiritual direction Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the div ...

with psychological treatment.Lapierre, Lawrence L. "A model for describing spirituality." Journal of religion and health 33.2 (1994): 153-161.

Personal life

May was married for 43 years to Elizabeth Jane Clark with whom he had three sons and a daughter.

Selected works

*''The Open Way: A Meditation Handbook'' (1977) Paulist Press, *''Simply Sane: Stop Fixing Yourself and Start Really Living'' (1977) Paulist Press, *''Pilgrimage Home: The Conduct of Contemplative Practice in Groups'' (1979) Paulist Press, *''Care of Mind, Care of Spirit: Psychiatric Dimensions of Spiritual Direction'' (1982) Harper & Row, *''Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology'' (1983) Harper & Row, *''Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions'' (1988) Harper & Row, *''The Awakened Heart: Opening Yourself to the Love You Need'' (1993) HarperCollins, *''The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth'' (2004) Harper & Row, *''The Wisdom of Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of Nature'' (2007) HarperCollins,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:May, Rollo 1940 births 2005 deaths American psychiatrists Ohio Wesleyan University alumni Wayne State University alumni People from Columbia, Maryland People from Hillsdale, Michigan Roman Catholic theologians