How people of faith should (and should not) think about depression

The Gloria Purvis Podcast

When it comes to depression, there are two popular schools of thought in Christian theology: suffering from depression is a result of human sinfulness, or it's a form of divine instruction. That is, either we’ve done something wrong or God is trying to teach us something. But neither approach has proved convincing to Jessica Coblentz, a Catholic theologian in the Department of Religious Studies and Theology at Saint Mary’s College at Notre Dame.

Gloria and Jessica discuss the findings of her new book, Dust in the Blood: A Theology of Life with Depression, which exposes the ways in which bad theology can further harm people suffering from depression, and offers healthy practices for accompaniment.

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Links:

Jessica Coblentz’s book: Dust in the Blood: A Theology of Life with Depression

Watch America Media’s short documentary: This historic Catholic parish fought to stay open—and won

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