“Curing is a physical process; it’s individual, usually (fairly) rapid, and concentrates on eliminating disease. Healing is a sociocultural process. It focuses on restoring interpersonal, social, and spiritual dimensions. It’s lengthy and ongoing because it’s a process of becoming whole.”
–Amy Kenny, My Body Is Not a Prayer Request
I’m getting ready for a series of talks at Eastern Mennonite University next week for their series “EveryBody Belongs,” so I pulled out some of my favorite books about the church and disability. I will be delivering two, hour-long keynote talks to consider what the Bible has to teach us about disability and how the church can become a community of welcome and belonging.
(And yes, I did have an anxiety dream about talking for two hours in which I was pacing a boxing ring with a microphone in the midst of a thousand-person cocktail party trying to keep everyone’s attention. But that was before I pulled out these books and got my thoughts organized.)
If you’re interested in these topics, Amy Kenny’s book might be the place to start (and if you still aren’t sure, you can always listen to my podcast interview with her as a primer).
I still contend that understanding vulnerable humanity, humanity on the margins of society, is the only way to understand all of our true humanity. Beginning to understand the theology of disability has meant I have begun to understand what it means to be human.
More with Amy Julia:
- Books About God’s Logic of Disability
- How God Thinks About Disability
- S5 E22 | Disability and the Speed of Love with Dr. John Swinton
If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to receive regular updates and news. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Goodreads, and you can subscribe to my Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
