Gerald May

{{other people||Jerry May (disambiguation){{!}}Jerry May}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Gerald Gordon May

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth-date|June 12, 1940}}

| birth_place = Hillsdale, Michigan

| death_date = {{Death-date and age|April 8, 2005|June 12, 1940}}

| death_place = Baltimore, Maryland

| nationality =

| other_names = Jerry May

| occupation = Psychiatrist

| known_for =

}}

Gerald Gordon May (June 12, 1940 – April 8, 2005) was an American psychiatrist and theologian.{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2005/04/12/dr-gerald-gordon-may-64-psychiatrist-for-prison-system-author-and-teacher/|title=Dr. Gerald Gordon May, 64, psychiatrist for prison system, author and teacher|last=Kelly|first=Jacques|date=April 12, 2005|work=Baltimore Sun|page=Obituaries|access-date=2 October 2013}}

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. He was the half-brother of the existential psychologist Rollo May who was 30 years older. Their father died when May was nine years old. He did his undergraduate work at Ohio Wesleyan University, graduating in 1962, and received a medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1965.

Career

May initially worked as an Air Force psychiatrist in Vietnam where he was a conscientious objector and then became chief of inpatient services at Andrews Air Force Base. After he and his family moved to Columbia, Maryland,{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/apr/17/20050417-114656-3091r/|title=Gerald G. May, 64, psychiatrist, author|date=April 17, 2005|work=Washington Times|page=Obit|accessdate=2 October 2013}} he worked on staff treating patients at the Spring Grove Hospital Center and Patuxent Correctional Mental Health Center of the Maryland state prisons system. In 1973, May joined the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Bethesda, Maryland, where he eventually became a senior fellow conducting workshops in contemplative theology and psychology.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48245-2005Apr12.html|title=Jerry May; Mixed Psychiatric, Spiritual Therapy|last=Bernstein|first=Adam|date=April 13, 2005|work=The Washington Post|page=B6|accessdate=2 October 2013}} May wrote several books which advanced his views on combining spiritual direction with psychological treatment.Collins, Brendan. "The changing relationship between psychology and contemporary spiritual direction." Pastoral Psychology 40.5 (1992): 285-292.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, {{ISBN|9780809102280}}
Simply Sane: Stop Fixing Yourself and Start Really Living (1977) Paulist Press, {{ISBN|9780809102150}}
Pilgrimage Home: The Conduct of Contemplative Practice in Groups (1979) Paulist Press, {{ISBN|9780809121434}}
Care of Mind, Care of Spirit: Psychiatric Dimensions of Spiritual Direction (1982) Harper & Row, {{ISBN|9780060655334}}
Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology (1983) Harper & Row, {{ISBN|9780060655341}}
Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions (1988) Harper & Row, {{ISBN|9780060655365}}
The Awakened Heart: Opening Yourself to the Love You Need (1993) HarperCollins, {{ISBN|9780060654733}}
The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth (2004) Harper & Row, {{ISBN|9780060750558}}
The Wisdom of Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of Nature (2007) HarperCollins, {{ISBN|9780061146633}}