"What we call disability is part of our fragile life and also of life's mystery in God. To understand disabled people and our own vulnerability and to understand the vulnerable and compassionate God condition each other. This astonishing book serves both sides and is an insightful contribution to an all-embracing theology of life."--__Jürgen Moltmann__, University of Tübingen  
  
"Disability is a gift that forces us to rethink what we thought was settled. The worship of a crucified savior in a similar manner forces us to rethink what we thought was settled. It is to Reynolds's great credit, therefore, that he helps us see how disability and the gospel are inseparably linked to the extent that they both force us to recognize our vulnerability. It will be a shame if this book is read only by those concerned about disability, because Reynolds's reflections are crucial for any work in constructive theology."--__Stanley Hauerwas__, Duke Divinity School  
  
"A remarkable book that reveals in a compelling way that being truly human and Christian is not just accepting people with disabilities but accepting our own vulnerability by entering with them into a relationship of mutuality where each one gives and each one receives. Their place is not at the margins of society and of the church but at the center, urging and calling us all to open up to the fundamental truth of our being; they can then become our healers. This book is essential reading for all Christians who desire to enter more fully into the vision of our loving God for our world and to become men and women of peace."--__Jean Vanier__, founder of L'Arche  
  
"This is an important work for theologians, ethicists, clergy, and seminary students as they reconsider assumptions about human and divine power and privilege. In placing persons with disabilities at the center of the theological conversation about God's power, Reynolds negates the 'cult of normalcy,' offers a theology of vulnerability, and encourages the church to reclaim its role in providing hospitality to those on the margins of society."--__Kathy Black__, Claremont School of Theology and author of A Healing Homiletic: Preaching and Persons with Disabilities

__Thomas E. Reynolds__ (PhD, Vanderbilt University) is associate professor of theology at Emmanuel College in the Toronto School of Theology, University of Toronto. He lives in North York, Ontario.

As parents of a son with disabilities, Thomas E. Reynolds and his wife know what it's like to be misunderstood by a church community. In Vulnerable Communion, Reynolds draws upon that personal experience and a diverse body of literature to empower churches and individuals to foster deeper hospitality toward persons with disabilities.   
  
Reynolds argues that the Christian story is one of strength coming from weakness, of wholeness emerging from brokenness, and of power in vulnerability. He offers valuable biblical, theological, and pastoral tools to understand and welcome those with disabilities. Vulnerable Communion will be a useful resource for any student, theologian, church leader, or lay person seeking to discover the power of God revealed through weakness.

A theologian and father of a child with disabilities reveals how disability highlights our common brokenness and need for grace.

Introduction  
Notes  
1\. Theology and Disability--Perils and Promises  
I. A Disabling Theology or a Theology of Disability?  
\- Defining Disability beyond the Medical Model  
\- Understanding Disability Christianly: Is Disability a Tragedy to be Undone?  
II. Beyond Theodicy?  
III. Toward a Hermeneutic of Disability  
IV. Dismantling Alienating Notions of Disability: Developing a Typology  
\- Avoiding the Theological Denigration of Disability  
\- Avoiding the Theological Trivialization of Disability  
Conclusion: Toward a Wider Horizon for Theological Thinking about Disability  
Notes   
2\. Communal Boundaries: Dwelling Together and the Cult of Normalcy  
I. The Human Need for Welcome  
\- Fundamental Trust--A Desire for "Home"   
\- Home as Dwelling Together  
II. Social Boundaries: Ability and Dis-ability  
\- Community and Identity--Frameworks of the Good  
III. Recognition, Value, and the Good: Into the Sway of the Cult of Normalcy  
\- Economies of Exchange  
\- Body Capital--Measuring Exchange Value  
\- The Cult of Normalcy  
IV. Outside the Good  
\- Stigma--the Spoiled Body  
\- Taboo--Prohibiting the Abnormal  
Conclusion: Against "Normalization"?  
Notes  
3\. Able Bodies? The Illusion of Control and Denial of Vulnerability  
I. Theoretical Roots of the Modern Notion of Personhood  
II. Problems with Equality, Freedom, Independence, and Reason  
\- Ironic Equality--Like "Us"   
\- Ironic Self-sufficiency and Freedom--Dis-abling Ability?  
\- Ironic Rationality--Routing the Irrational (Reason-unable?)   
III. Managing the Body: The Productive Imperative  
\- Wealth Accumulation  
\- Efficiency--a Competitive Edge on Time  
\- Novelty--the Tyranny of the New  
\- The Person as Consumer--Empowered to Purchase  
\- Beautiful, Youthful, and Able Bodies  
Conclusion: Spiritual Self-Interest?   
Notes  
4\. Recovering Disability: Love and the Strange Power of "Weakness"  
I. Vulnerability: Reassessing Wholeness and Disability  
\- Dependence: Rethinking "Normal"  
\- The Difficult Strength of Vulnerability--Neediness and the Reality of Suffering  
II. Encountering Disability, Suffering the Other  
\- Creative Openings: An Autobiographical Excursus on Love  
\- Against Pity and Charity?  
\- Getting Closer--Loving Chris  
III. Relational Wholeness: Love's Interdependence  
\- The Strange Power of Weakness: Enabling Love  
\- Love--To Welcome the Presence of the Other  
IV. The Moral Fabric of Love: Availability  
\- Respect: Giving Way for the Other  
\- Fidelity--Faithfulness to the Other  
\- Compassion--Sympathy with the Other, for its Wellbeing  
Conclusion: Empowering Community  
Notes  
5\. Love Divine: God, Creation, and Vulnerability  
I. Love and Conversion to God  
\- Gratitude: Existence as Gift  
\- Hope: Relation beyond Tragedy  
\- The Sense of God--An Extraordinary Possibility in Vulnerable Ordinariness  
II. Creation's God--A Theological Matrix  
\- God's Transcendence and the Redemptive Encounter  
\- Naming God's Redemptive Presence  
III. God's Creative Power: Toward a Theology of Creation  
\- In the Beginning, God  
\- Creation "Called" into Being  
\- Creation from "Nothing"   
\- Continuing Creation and Providence  
\- Creation a Free Act of God  
\- Creation as Gift, Loved into Being  
IV. Relation and Vulnerability in God and Creation  
\- Creation's Difference, God's Giving  
\- Creation and the Tragic  
\- Divine Vulnerability and Tragedy  
Conclusion: Theology of Creation in a Key of Gratitude and Hope  
Notes  
6\. Worthy of Love? Humanity, Disability, and Redemption in Christ  
I. Reconsidering the Imago Dei  
\- Imago Dei as Imitatio Dei  
\- Imago Dei as Creativity--Human Being as a Co-Creative Agent of God  
\- Imago Dei as Relationality--Human Being as Embodied along with Others  
\- Imago Dei as Availability--Human Being as Freedom for Love  
\- The Imago Dei and Disability  
II. Sin's Tragedy and the Possibility of Redemption  
\- Sin--Creative Freedom for Love gone Awry  
\- Sin, Idolatry, and the Possibility of Redemption  
III. Reconsidering Redemption in Jesus Christ  
\- Jesus as the Icon of a Vulnerable God: Redemptive Revelation  
\- Jesus: The Fully Human Person  
\- Jesus as God's Solidarity with Humanity: Incarnation, Cross, and Resurrection  
Conclusion: Reversing Disability  
Notes  
7\. Being Together: Love, Church, and Hospitality  
I. To Love as Christ Loves: Loving Chris as Christ Loves and Loving Christ as Chris Loves  
II. The Strange Kingdom of God: Restoring the Imago Dei in Right Relationships  
 a. The Creative Power of Inclusion--Welcoming (in) the Kingdom  
 b. Healing Power--Welcome, Transformation, and Wholeness  
 c. Cross as Inclusive Solidarity--The Power of Inability  
 d. Disability and the Imitation of Christ  
III. The Strange Household of God: Church as the Ongoing Presence of Christ  
 a. Church as the Household of God--A New Covenant  
 b. Church as the Body of Christ  
 c. Church as Anticipation: The not-yet Kingdom of God  
IV. Hospitality: Welcoming (in) the Spirit  
 a. Hospitality: Inspirited Openness to the Other  
 b. Hospitality and Disability  
Conclusion: Kindling Hope for the Church as a Communion of Strangers  
Notes

Reynolds, Thomas E.

Cover Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Acknowledgments 

Introduction 

Notes

1. Theology and Disability: Perils and Promises 

I. A Disabling Theology or a Theology of Disability?

Defining Disability beyond the Medical Model

II. Beyond Theodicy?

III. Toward a Hermeneutic of Disability

IV. Dismantling Alienating Notions of Disability: Developing a Typology

Avoiding the Theological Denigration of Disability

2. Communal Boundaries: Dwelling Together and the Cult of Normalcy 

I. The Human Need for Welcome

Fundamental Trust—A Desire for "Home"

II. Social Boundaries: Ability and Disability

Community and Identity—Frameworks of the Good

III. Recognition, Value, and the Good: Into the Sway of the Cult of Normalcy

Economies of Exchange

IV. Outside the Good

Stigma—The Spoiled Body

3. Able Bodies? The Illusion of Control and Denial of Vulnerability 

I. Theoretical Roots of the Modern Notion of Personhood

II. Problems with Equality, Freedom, Independence, and Reason

Ironic Equality—Like "Us"

III. Managing the Body: The Productive Imperative

Wealth Accumulation

4. Recovering Disability: The Strange Power of “Weakness”

I. Vulnerability: Reassessing Wholeness and Disability

Dependence—Rethinking "Normal"

II. Encountering Disability, Suffering the Other

Creative Openings—An Autobiographical Excursus on Love

III. Relational Wholeness: Love's Interdependence

The Strange Power of Weakness—Enabling Love

IV. The Moral Fabric of Love: Availability

Respect—Giving Way for the Other

5. Love Divine: Vulnerability, Creation, and God 

I. Love and Conversion to God

Gratitude—Existence as Gift

II. Creation's God: A Theological Matrix

God's Transcendence and the Redemptive Encounter

III. God's Creative Power: Toward a Theology of Creation

In the Beginning, God

IV. Relation and Vulnerability in God and Creation

Creation's Difference, God's Giving

6. Worthy of Love? Humanity, Disability, and Redemption in Christ 

I. Reconsidering the Imago Dei

Imago Dei as Imitatio Dei

II. Sin's Tragedy and the Possibility of Redemption

Sin—Creative Freedom for Love Gone Awry

III. Reconsidering Redemption in Jesus Christ

Jesus as the Icon of a Vulnerable God—Redemptive Revelation

7. Being Together: Love, Church, and Hospitality 

I. To Love as Christ Loves: Loving Chris as Christ Loves and Loving Christ as Chris Loves

II. The Strange Kingdom of God: Restoring the Imago Dei in Right Relationships

The Creative Power of Inclusion—Welcoming (in) the Kingdom

III. The Strange Household of God: Church as the Ongoing Presence of Christ

Church as the Household of God—A New Covenant

IV. Hospitality: Welcoming (in) the Spirit

Hospitality—Inspirited Openness to the Other

As parents of a son with disabilities, Thomas E. Reynolds and his wife know what it's like to be misunderstood by a church community. InVulnerable Communion, Reynolds draws upon that personal experience and a diverse body of literature to empower churches and individuals to foster deeper hospitality toward persons with disabilities.  
  
Reynolds argues that the Christian story is one of strength coming from weakness, of wholeness emerging from brokenness, and of power in vulnerability. He offers valuable biblical, theological, and pastoral tools to understand and welcome those with disabilities.Vulnerable Communionwill be a useful resource for any student, theologian, church leader, or lay person seeking to discover the power of God revealed through weakness.

Shows how disabled people bring gifts to the church and teach us about the compassion of God.

As parents of a son with disabilities, Thomas E. Reynolds and his wife know what it's like to be misunderstood by a church community. In Vulnerable Communion, Reynolds draws upon that personal experience and a diverse body of literature to empower churches and individuals to foster deeper hospitality toward persons with disabilities. Reynolds argues that the Christian story is one of strength coming from weakness, of wholeness emerging from brokenness, and of power in vulnerability. He offers valuable biblical, theological, and pastoral tools to understand and welcome those with disabilities. Vulnerable Communion will be a useful resource for any student, theologian, church leader, or lay person seeking to discover the power of God revealed through weakness.

Thomas E. Reynolds (PhD, Vanderbilt University) is associate professor of theology at Emmanuel College in the Toronto School of Theology, University of Toronto. He lives in North York, Ontario.

The Good Book Stall

Jürgan Moltmann writes:- ‘What we call disability is part of our fragile life and also of life’s mystery in God. To understand disabled people and our own vulnerability and to understand the vulnerable and compassionate God condition each other. This astonishing book serves both sides and is an insightful contribution to an all embracing theology of life.’  
TGBS Review to follow  
Shortlisted for the Michael Ramsey prize for Theological Writing 2011.

Vulnerable Communion

Vulnerable Communion [eBook]

Navigation Bar

Header Default

Download the Christian360 App to read eBooks and listen to Audiobooks bought at Christian360

Download the App

Vulnerable Communion [eBook]

Description

Need support?

Customer reviews

Download the App

Download the App