Paradox in the Development of the Non-Disabled Church

TitleParadox in the Development of the Non-Disabled Church
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2007
AuthorsWebster, CM
Journal TitleJournal of Religion, Disability & Health
Volume11
Pages23–49
ISSN1522-8967
Abstract

Abstract {β€œHe} was born blind so that the work of God can be revealed in him,” John 9:3. The appropriation of disabled body images and metaphors in the symbolic language of Christian theological discourse played and continues to play an instrumental role in the formation, building, and sustaining of Christian faith communities. Yet, Christianity's symbolic language is also used effectively to disenfranchise and alienate the actual disabled body from Christian communities. An inheritance from its Graeco-Roman and Jewish ancestry, Christianity takes as normative a direct link between disability and sin. This paper focuses on John 9:1–41 in exploring early Christianity's use of disability to articulate its ideals and examines the implication of the disability/sin correlation for contemporary Christian Communities.

URLhttp://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J095v11n03_03
DOI10.1300/J095v11n03_03

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