The first part of the book entitled, “Life in Church: Theological Reflections of Persons with Disabilities,” challenges and inspires readers through 10 personal reflections of persons with disabilities across the globe on what it means to live their faith. The second part contains a re-presentation of the foundational text “The Gift of Being Called to Be a Church of All and for All,” which speaks prophetically to the church and exposes the systems and structures in the life of the church that oppress, marginalize, and demean people with disabilities.
Sharing with the participants of the meeting on what inspired him to tell his story, Rev. Dr Deva Jothikumar of National Council of Churches in India and a member of EDAN said, “Churches often overlook the potentials of persons with disabilities; seminaries are reluctant to admit and accommodate them, and some theological institutions demand a physical fitness certificate. It is imperative for churches to dismantle these.”
The book was hailed as a sign of the of impact the EDAN ministry has had with the churches.
“The conversations that we will be having about what is the witness from the margins will mark a moment that shows the incremental journey that began in the 1960s. Today we realise that by broadening the table, we are not just changing the demographics, we are changing epistemologically in that we have a physical offering in this book that we can touch, feel, and internalise through EDAN,” said Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba, WCC programme director for Unity, Mission, and Ecumenical Formation.
The book is free to download at the WCC publications webpage
