Alleviating Anxiety in an Age of Self-Promotion

Social Phobia: Alleviating Anxiety in an Age of Self-Promotion. By Donald Capps. St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1999. 176 pages.

In this unique work, the renowned Professor of Pastoral Theology at Princeton comprehensively examines a little known condition that affects the lives of millions. Social phobia is an anxiety disorder whose "major characteristic is the fear of negative evaluation in a social situation" (2). Given the near-ubiquity of this fear, mostly at a subclinical level like his own, some of the issues Capps discusses are pertinent to pastors and parishioners. The analysis, however, is quite technical and focuses on scholarly debates, making it more of interest to the clinician than the "general reader" (xii). Nevertheless, the discussion and terminology are accessible to the intelligent non-professional, so it is a potential resource for those who are willing to wade through sometimes-tedious summaries of clinical issues.

Three-fourths of the book examines current research regarding symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, demonstrating the author's extensive research and an impressive grasp of the material. The discussion of the relationship between phobia and particular interpersonal tendencies is especially informative. There is an excellent assessment of therapeutic modalities, including a recommendation for the utilization of an eclectic therapeutic approach; this condition is habitual in nature, but deep-seated in origin, requiring both a behavioral and a dynamic intervention. Given the intended audience and the tone of the work, it is surprising that there is no discussion of possible medications for this and other anxiety disorders. The implication is that the topic would be overly technical, but many who are socially anxious may not ask essential questions of their doctors, and therefore need this information.

Capps is at his best in the last two chapters, when he ventures into the world of culture and theology. For example, he makes a good case that a moderate dose of illusion is required to flourish in this culture, and thus those who are hyper-aware of their surroundings - like social phobics - find that a bit of avoidance is a healthy elixir. His intriguing argument that our self-promoting society discourages stark realism is grounded in a sophisticated connection of shame to social avoidance. Social phobia, therefore, is considered a prophetic condition, revealing our culture as one that places an unhealthy value on dominance.

I would have appreciated much more of this creative dialogue between cultural analysis and religious sensibility which uses the growing problem of social anxiety as a portent. In the concluding chapter on religious alleviations, he suggests that Jesus can be an internalized source of empowerment (a "selfobject" in self-psychology jargon) in one's battle with the feared powers of this world. The table of communion is offered as an alternative metaphor for the dog-eat-dog society in which we live. Unfortunately, such rich allusions are tasty crumbs in a book that, overall, is likely to seem bland for the average pastor or person looking for a self-help book. Hopefully he or another scholar will follow up these powerful suggestions to critique the overly competitive nature of postmodern culture in the manner that Capps himself and others did with regard to narcissism.

James I. Higginbotham

Vanderbilt University

Copyright Christian Theological Seminary Autumn 2002
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved