A Few Recent Finds

Here are four things that have challenged, informed, and fascinated me lately.

Is Anxiety Sinful? From America Magazine (here).

One in five Americans suffers from an anxiety disorder; what is the origin, treatment, and morality of such disorders? And how can and should our human freedom be engaged? This great piece in America Magazine by Dr. Greg Popcak explores these complex questions.

2. Programs Help Incarcerated Moms Bond With Their Babies In Prison, from NPR (here).

This essay covers an awesome and essential program that gives mothers in prison a chance to spend time with their children. Such interactions are essential for the healthy development of their children, without which it becomes next to impossible to break the intergenerational cycle of trauma and poverty. We need more creative solutions to our nation’s shocking criminal justice problem.

3. EVIDENCE, a short film directed by Godfrey Reggio (here).

A compelling short film that shows the eyes of children watching television – in this case, Disney’s “Dumbo.” As I wrote about a few months ago, we didn’t evolve on this.

4. The Birth of a Mother, from the New York Times (here).

The transition to motherhood is a challenging and powerful time for a woman. This piece by Alexandra Sacks covers some of the psychiatric and psychosocial features of the pre- and post-natal period. It would be interesting to look at this research together with the theology of marriage and family.

Let me know what you think in the comments if you get a chance to read them.

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