Description
Book SynopsisA personal and moving memoir that resurrects the ancient term acedia, or soulweariness, and brilliantly explores its relevance to society today.
Table of ContentsKathleen Norris had written several much-loved books, yet she couldn't drag herself out of bed in the morning, couldn't summon the energy for daily tasks. Even as she struggled, Norris recognized her familiar battle with acedia. She had discovered the word in an early Church text when she was in her thirties, and instantly recognized herself in a passage describing the affliction as sinking into a state of being unable to care. Fascinated by this 'noonday demon' so familiar to those in the early Church, Norris read intensively and knew she must restore this forgotten but utterly important concept to the modern world's vernacular.This burden blights not just individuals, but whole societies: "restless boredom, frantic escapism, commitment phobia, and enervating despair that we struggle with today are the ancient demon of acedia in modern dress."See photocopy for more.
