"We must learn to
regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the
light of what they suffer. The only profitable relationship to others—and especially
to our weaker brethren—is one of love, and that means the will to hold fellowship
with them. God himself did not despise humanity, but became man for men's
sake." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison
“Saints cannot exist
without a community, as they require, like all of us, nurturance by a people
who, while often unfaithful, preserve the habits necessary to learn the story
of God.” - Stanley Hauerwas, Critical Reflections on Stanley Hauerwas' Theology of Disability
Reading the works of
theologians throughout history changed my identity over four years at
university. I went in thinking that the debate between Arminianism and
Calvinism over free will was the most pressing issue for the Church, or at
least for me. A professor who would spend the next four years challenging me
only smirked and told me there was so much missing from my questions.
This blog will deal with
questions, but not questions like the one I had when I went to university; I
prefer the ones I had when I left: How does Christ resolve issues of suffering,
identity and hospitality in his body? What is the eternal significance of human
work and play in the here and now? What does it mean to be human from the
perspective of persons of disability? Stanley Hauerwas says that all theology
is ethical and therefore political, so I care about reflecting theologically on
life’s questions in a way that challenges the ethical and political
presumptions of our societies.
