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. Support The Gloria Purvis Podcast by getting a digital subscription to America Magazine: www.americamagazine.org/subscribe 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About Podcast

Too many voices are not being heard in the Catholic Church today. "The Gloria Purvis Podcast" is a new podcast from America Media hosted by radio personality and Catholic commentator, Gloria Purvis. The podcast centers the opinions, stories and experiences of individuals who have been marginalized in the Catholic Church and in society. A consistent ethic of life informs the conversations and honestly critiques narrow applications of Catholic teachings and ideological attitudes. It's not liberal, it's not conservative. It's all about fostering a culture of charitable dialogue around the most complex and contentious issues in the Catholic Church today. It's just Catholic. Episodes will release weekly.
Subscribe to hear the latest episodes and learn more at http://americamagazine.org/gloriapurvispodcast
Photo courtesy of Joseph Gloor/Word on Fire