“Hauerwas, professor of ethics at Duke’s Divinity School and an authority on biomedical ethics, has written a consensus-shattering volume. Arguing forcefully for a radical reexamination of the assumptions of personal freedom, self-determination, and the utilitarian “bottom line” that pervade current bioethical decision making, he demonstrates how profoundly medicine and theology are intertwined when we address […]

Emily Rapp Emily Rapp was born with a congenital defect that required, at the age of four, that her left foot be amputated. By the time she was eight she’d had dozens of operations and her entire leg below the knee had been amputated. She had also become the smiling, always perky, indefatigable poster child […]

Hans S. Reinders Does what we are capable of doing define us as human beings? If this basic anthropological assumption is true, where can that leave those with intellectual disabilities, unable to accomplish the things that we propose give us our very humanity? Hans Reinders here makes an unusual claim about unusual people: those who […]

John Swinton In this book John Swinton develops a practical theology of dementia for caregivers, people with dementia, ministers, hospital chaplains, and medical practitioners as he explores two primary questions: Who am I when I’ve forgotten who I am? What does it mean to love God and be loved by God when I have forgotten who […]

Brian Brock and John Swinton, eds. For two millennia Christians have thought about what human impairment is and how faith communities and society should respond to people with perceived impairments. But never has one volume collected the most significant Christian writings on disability. This book fills that gap.  Brian Brock and John Swinton’s Disability in […]

Amos Young “Yong has done nothing less than provide the most comprehensive analysis we have of the philosophical issues surrounding Down syndrome. But more importantly, drawing on an account of the Holy Spirit, he helps us better appreciate how focusing on disability makes us re-think fundamental theological categories. I highly commend this book not only […]

This extraordinary story begins with the happy news of a new member of the Williams family. Sarah’s two young daughters are excited, as is her own mother, Jennifer Rees Larcombe. But the happiness is shortlived, as the scan at the hospital reveals that the baby has a condition which will mean severe skeletal deformity. Birth […]

Joshua Weigel This short film tells the story of a limbless man who finds his true place in the world. As one character puts it, “The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.” Helpful for thinking about the dignity of all humans and for providing hope to those who need it. From Ed.

Jean Vanier Vanier discussed the core of what it means to be human and how we, as Christians, ought to interact with those with disabilities. From Ed.

Amy Julia Becker An incredible book about a mother’s journey having a child with down syndrome. From Ed. Get this book.

” Time and disability are intimately connected, not only because disability challenges the idea of time but because certain key assumptions that comprise the category ‘disability’ are premised on mistaken and dangerous understandings of time. In these ways time has fallen and has become the oppressor of all who fail to meet the criteria for […]

Presentation by John Swinton: ‘Theology and Dementia’ from the 2012 Summer Institute on Theology and Disability Conference, an interfaith perspective on topics related to developmental disabilities, discussed by international theologians, scholars and authors. A beautiful lecture which helps viewers to think about the nature of dementia and the identity of those suffering from it. “Our […]

Dorothy Wilson The biography of Dr. Paul Brand, a leading researcher into leprosy treatment.  The book gives a wonderful picture of a humble man who sought to serve in whatever culture or environment he found himself. From Ed. Get this book.

“In this excellent book Reynolds weaves his personal narrative into a complex cultural and theological exposition of the construction and theological practice of disability. . . . There is no doubt that Tom Reynolds has made a very useful contribution to the theology of disability in this work.”–John Swinton, Practical Theology As parents of a […]

Stanley Hauerwas and Jean Vanier How are Christians to live in a violent and wounded world? Rather than contending for privilege by wielding power and authority, we can witness prophetically from a position of weakness. The church has much to learn from an often overlooked community–those with disabilities. In this fascinating book, theologian Stanley Hauerwas […]

Expecting Adam is the beautifully written, poignant, achingly funny true story of John and Martha Beck, and of the extraordinary child they brought into the world. John and Martha were an exceptionally ambitious and driven all-American couple. With six Harvard degrees between them, and living in the refined and competitive atmosphere of the Harvard campus, […]

Simon Barnes In a moving extract from a new book to mark Mencap’s 60th birthday, the Times chief sports writer Simon Barnes describes life with his five-year-old son Eddie, who has Down’s syndrome. From Ed. Read the full article