Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-17
Physicians and Psychiatrists
Hearken to Revolutionary
Church Ministration.
Pastor Cites Neurosis as
Base of Completes to
Be 0bviated.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

AA%NS S~NAA AA RAOSASSS ava ~RF
two months at the Mount Pleasant
Congregationalis Church.
This is described by Rev. Moses r.
Lowell, pastor, as IAN effort to realize
the idealism Of Christianity with the
technique of science"
1t has been ddescribed as protestant
confessional" This, Rev. Mr.. Lowell
says, is misleading because, although
there is superficial resemblance be-
tween the "life adjustment center" he
has established and the Catholic con-
fessional, both the procedure and the
fundamental purpose are different.
THE life adjustment center" Mr..
Lowell says, probably appears more like
the confessional than any other Chris
tian religious practice. But the pur-
pose of the confessional is to prepare
persons for the next world. while our
purpose is to adjust them to this world. "
The life adjustment center consists
of group of specialists. consisting of
two physicians, four pSychiatrists, three
social workers, director of religious
education and q minister. Each is
serving without pay and devoting many
CdGI1 WECA W UIIC WOIh DtCduS6
of their interest in the experiment
The service, says Rev. Mr.. Lowell, is
for all who are in trouble-physical,
financial, moral and social. Here they
are able to discuss their difficulties I'M
der the seal of the strictest confidence
with experts in all these fields. The
experiment Is based on the belief that
the individual Is a unit--that a moral
difficulty may be at the bottom of case
of physical pathology or mental complex
or that a physical difficulty may be
baSically mental or spiritual.
Similar to Confessional.
The person attending the center first
tells his whole story, in strictness of
confidence comparable to that of the
confessional, to an expert social worker
The social worker judges from this con-
versation the probable basis for the
trouble and refers the patient to the
expert most likely to locate It, He is
then ushered into large. nicely fur
nished reception room upon which open
the Offices of the other members of the
staff, to await his turn.
If he has been referred to physician
he tells his story again and Is given a
thorough physical examination. The
whole process may end here with a
prescription for treatment. II the case
Is more complicated the patient Is re-
ferred to one of the psychiatrists who
probes into the depths of the psychic
life in an effort to determine the hidden
completes which are preventing the In
dividual from making a good adjust
ment to life and society. Very likely
the psychiatrist turns the patient over
to the social worker after he has
finished his examination and the socia
worker may, IN turn, refer him to the
clergyman.
The center might be compared to q
medical clinic where specialists in vari.
Gus parts of the body, all working with
a common purpose. examine the patient
But these men are doctors, of the soul
working through the mind and body
They are members of various churches
Some are not church members at all
but all recognize the vital power oil
religion, properly applied, to facilitate
social adjustments.
During the past two months there
have been 100 patients, but some have
returned several times so that there
have been $50 private consultations
This figure does not include the fol.
low-up visits of the social workers. II
is too early, Mr.. Lowell says, to make
any statement as to definite results
This is true especially because Of thu
strictnesS of the confidence which i:
maintained, so that nothing can be
said which might lead to the identity
OF any of the individuals treated. This
might be possible even If names were
changed and circumstances altered.
Very few OF the persons who have
come to the clinic are members Of the
Mount Pleasant congregation. They
have come from all parts of Washing.
ton and from Virginia and Maryland.
When we opened the center" says
Rev, Mr.. Lowell. II was greatly In fear
OF attracting crankS. Such an expert
ment might be expected to draw great
numbers of such persons. have been
agreeably surprised. The cranks have
constituted a very small proportion of
our attendance. 1t Is astonishing to OBJ
serve the general high caliber of the
men and women who come to us. They
generally are intelligent persons who
recognize the effect of one element OF
the individual on another element"
Calls Experiment Revolutionary.
Rev. Mr.. Lowell admits that the ex-
pertinent Is revolutionary In Protestant
ism and probably in Christianity. Dur
ing The past month he has been deluged
with letters from churches all over the
United States asking for an outline of
his procedure. Many of these have an
nounced their intention of starting SINH
lar experiments IN their own commu-
mites
There have been, he said. two steps In
this direction in the past--one of the
Emanuel movement in Boston, which
was connected with a church, but
which did not carry the idea to the
same extent, and the body and soul
clinic in New York City, which has no
religious connections.
His own church, Rev. Mr.. Lowell be-
lieves, was in an ideal situation to take
such a step since each congregation is
a unit in itself. able to lay down It's
own policies and theological doctrines
without outside interference. The con-
gregation of the Mount Pleasant Church
is made up largely of liberal group
Of professional and business men and
Government scientists.
II have no doubt" the minister says,
"but that we will continue the clinic
after this experimental period, but, of
course. there will be some changes in
details. We apparently have struck
upon real need.
In my opinion religion received its
final touch of idealism in the life and
teachings of Christ. I believe there
can be no advance In this respect. The
trouble has been that the Christian
world IN practice has fallen far behind
this lofty idealism. The idealism has
failed because 1t has lacked the tech
nical means for realizing itself. Sci
ence is supplying this technique and
We cannot afford to ignore it. Modern
science. in one sense, is the second
Messiah
Religion in the past has been con-
cerned primarily In getting persons
through the perils OF this world in as
short time as possible and In as At
a condition as possible to enter the next
world. This certainly was the idea OF
the early Christians and it has been the
idea of both Catholics and Professionals