I’m back from the FFW, which was fabulous, as always. (Getting to hear Cathleen Falsani describe interviewing Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion was enough to justify all the money I spent on gas - although my carpool buddies were kind and chipped in.)

But two lectures in particular struck a mental-health nerve. One was by Alan Jacobs, an English professor at Wheaton College near Chicago, who spoke on original sin. You may not think that would be a popular topic in this day and age, but this was Calvin, so he got a good turnout. I learned a lot about the history of the concept and the role it plays not only in theology, but in pop culture (think of those cartoons where you see an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other).

What bothered me, though, was a question from an audience member on whether people use modern psychiatry to cover up the notion of sin. To his credit, Jacobs said he knew a lot of people who had benefited from taking antidepressants. However, they were able to see a purpose in their suffering in that it forced them to turn to God and probably leave some bad behaviors behind.

As I’ve said before, I think it’s crucial that religious people not judge the mentally ill in their midst. Just because people have clinical depression - or any other condition - doesn’t mean that they think they can get away with everything and feel no moral responsibility for their actions. That may be true for some extreme cases, but certainly not everyone.

Thankfully, Kathleen Norris seems to agree. She gave a great lecture on the little-known sin of “acedia,” which can be defined as spiritual sloth, or an indifference to life and humanity. I see this in my own life sometimes, when I wonder why I bother going to work or class or even spending time with my friends. But Norris challenged us to move beyond that dangerous boredom and find purpose in our everyday tasks, namely through prayer. She also made a clear distinction between acedia and depression (and gave numerous shout-outs to her copy editor, which, as a proud copy-desk denizen, I greatly appreciated).

If I ever get some free time in the upcoming months, I will make a point of reading the latest books from Norris, Jacobs and Falsani, and I encourage you to do the same.