Overview
How might someone’s disability shape not only their view of God, but of the church? Turning to the lived experiences of people with disabilities and caregivers for children with disabilities, this book provides theological reflections on their images of the church. Attuning to these often ignored voices provides thought-provoking insights into what the church and other religious communities can do and have failed to do for and alongside its disabled members and their caregivers. Embracing disability theology enables a generative image of faith communities built on various forms of spiritual care. Over three broad sections (Disabling Images of the Church, Themes in Healing the Church with Disabilities, and Intercultural Insights for Disability Theology), theologians explore the themes and images emerging from alternative views of the church and other religious communities presented by disability studies.
Full Product Details
Author: Allen G. Jorgenson ,
Laura MacGregor ,
Thomas E. Reynolds
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield
Dimensions:
Width: 15.40cm
, Height: 2.20cm
, Length: 23.20cm
Weight: 0.560kg
ISBN: 9781666973013
ISBN 10: 1666973017
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 16 April 2026
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
Disrupting Stories and Images of the Church is a wonderful collection of essays written by people with disabilities and/or family members and close colleagues who are totally honest about the highs and lows of their faith journeys and experiences in congregations. It is, essentially, an “invocation:” a plea and prayer to the people of God to see, accept, and include people with both their differences and similarities. They engross, illuminate, and compel both understanding and imagination, embodying the mantra of the current disability movement: “Nothing about me without me,” pointing paths toward a new us. * Bill Gaventa, M.Div., Founder and Director Emeritus: Institute on Theology and Disability, Author, consultant, speaker, and organizer * The personal stories shared in this book are prophetic voices that challenge us, as followers of Jesus, to repent from ableist practices in the church. The authors offer profound theological insights gained from lived experiences, guiding us to reimagine our life together as God’s family—one in which everyone can find belonging and experience love and respect. The book also includes practical suggestions from Christian and other faith communities, showcasing what genuine belonging means. * Cynthia Tam, McMaster Divinity College *
Disrupting Stories and Images of the Church is a wonderful collection of essays written by people with disabilities and/or family members and close colleagues who are totally honest about the highs and lows of their faith journeys and experiences in congregations. It is, essentially, an “invocation:” a plea and prayer to the people of God to see, accept, and include people with both their differences and similarities. They engross, illuminate, and compel both understanding and imagination, embodying the mantra of the current disability movement: “Nothing about me without me,” pointing paths toward a new us. * Bill Gaventa, M.Div., Founder and Director Emeritus: Institute on Theology and Disability, Author, consultant, speaker, and organizer *
Author Information
Allen G. Jorgenson is assistant Dean and professor of Systematic Theology at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary. Laura MacGregor is an independent scholar. Thomas E. Reynolds is associate professor of theology at Emmanuel College, of Victoria University.
