Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life

Item No. 9781944967307

by Nicole M. Roccas

Idleness. Apathy. Restlessness. Procrastination. These are symptoms of what early Christian theologians called despondency (acedia), a spiritual sickness rooted in a lack of care or effort. A condition as old as the ancients, despondency thrives in today's culture of leisure, anxiety, and digital distraction. Time and Despondency is a penetrating synthesis of ancient theology, spiritual memoir, and self-help practicality. It envisions despondency as the extension of a broken relationship with the experience of time. Driven by the fear of death and the anxiety of living, despondency drives us to abandon the present moment, forsaking the only temporal realm in which we have true fellowship with Christ. The remedies offered by time-honored Christian thinkers for this predicament constitute not only an antidote to despondency but also stepping stones back to the present moment. In regaining the sacredness of time, we re-encounter the Resurrection of Christ in the dark and restless moments of our lives.

About the Author: Dr. Nicole Roccas has been researching and writing about time from both a historical and theological perspective for nearly ten years. In addition to being a writer and editor, she lectures at the Orthodox School of Theology at Trinity College (Toronto). You can find more of her writing on her Ancient Faith podcast and blog, Time Eternal. Her second book, also from Ancient Faith Publishing, is Under the Laurel Tree: Grieving Infertility with Saints Joachim and Anna. Nicole has a PhD in History from the University of Cincinnati. A native of Wisconsin, Nicole currently lives in the Toronto area.

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Author: Nicole M. Roccas

Paperback: 194 pages

Dimensions: 5.5 X 8.5 inches

Publisher: Ancient Faith Publishing