Why do human beings so often act against their own best interests, caught in cycles of compulsive thoughts and behaviors? Addictions and compulsions, whether behavioral or substance related, stem from a complex interaction of multiple variables across diverse biological, social, psychological, and spiritual domains. In Orthodox Christianity, these behaviors might be understood as the passions, disordered desires that enslave the soul and disrupt human freedom. Together, do modern science and patristic wisdom provide complementary or conflicting insights into the nature of addiction and compulsion? This year’s conference will explore this pervasive cultural concern.