Disability and Christian theology : embodied limits and constructive possibilities
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Bibliographic Information
Disability and Christian theology : embodied limits and constructive possibilities
（American Academy of Religion academy series）
Oxford University Press, c2009
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Includes bibliographical references
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Attention to embodiment and the religious significance of bodies is one of the most significant shifts in contemporary theology. In the midst of this, however, experiences of disability have received little attention. This book explores possibilities for theological engagement with disability, focusing on three primary alternatives: challenging existing theological models to engage with the disabled body, considering possibilities for a disability liberation
theology, and exploring new theological options based on an understanding of the unsurprisingness of human limits.
The overarching perspective of this book is that limits are an unavoidable aspect of being human, a fact we often seem to forget or deny. Yet not only do all humans experience limits, most of us also experience limits that take the form of disability at some point in our lives; in this way, disability is more "normal" than non-disability. If we take such experiences seriously and refuse to reduce them to mere instances of suffering, we discover insights that are lost when we take a perfect or
generic body as our starting point for theological reflections. While possible applications of this insight are vast, this work focuses on two areas of particular interest: theological anthropology and metaphors for God.
This project challenges theology to consider the undeniable diversity of human embodiment. It also enriches previous disability work by providing an alternative to the dominant medical and minority models, both of which fail to acknowledge the full diversity of disability experiences. Most notably, this project offers new images and possibilities for theological construction that attend appropriately and creatively to diversity in human embodiment.
Table of Contents
- Chapter One: Understanding Disability
- Chapter Two: Disability and Christianity
- Chapter Three: Theology and the Disabled Body
- Chapter Four: Liberation Theologies of Disability
- Chapter Five: Limits and Disability Theology
- Conclusion: Embodied Limits and Constructive Possibilities
by "Nielsen BookData"