Amos Yong is Professor of Theology at the Regent University School of Divinity in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Amos Yong says he hopes this is an edifying work on theology and
Down syndrome. It is certainly that--but much more. 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 to those concerned with disability but to anyone who wants to
think better about what it means to be a Christian in today's
world. --Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological
Ethics at Duke Divinity School
This critically important theological consideration of people with
disabilities challenges the oppressions that they have experienced
at the hands and words of our religious traditions. Along with the
work advanced in the Disabilities Studies movements, Yong provides
a sustained discussion of theological perspectives on disability to
keep pace. Yong explores the implications of a re-reading of sacred
texts that have traditionally marginalized people with disabilities
to engage as well the themes of creation, Christology, theological
anthropology, ecclesiology, soteriology and eschatology that are
used here to liberate instead. Finally, with his own creative
approach to the Spirit, Yong makes the pneumatical imagination the
center of his argument for the equality of all persons -careful not
to deny the difference that a disability makes, before the Spirit
all are disabled. This work is also noteworthy for its focus on
Down syndrome and how people with Down syndrome in their own words
understand themselves and their experiences in a world that is
all-too-often unwelcoming. --Mary Jo Iozzio, Professor of Moral
Theology, Barry University
Sometimes a book comes along which not only moves a field on but
also changes its direction. Yong's work is just such a book. His
careful and systematic theological analysis of disability offers
insights and perspectives that allow his readers to grasp the
meaning of disability and humanness in ways that are fresh,
sometimes startling and disturbing, but always poignant and
transformative. Yong's work is a significant contribution to
disability theology and deserves to be taken seriously. --John
Swinton, Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care, School
of Divinity, Religious Studies and Philosophy, University of
Aberdeen
Theology and Down Syndrome is that rare gem, a genuinely
groundbreaking study. Its original contribution to systematic
theology is to develop a theological anthropology by considering a
particular special example rather than working from theoretical
premises alone. It addresses several contemporary concerns in
disability studies by reframing them in a thoroughly theological
manner. The study is well seasoned with poignant biographical
observations, judicious surveys of the major religious traditions
on the topic of disability, and a critical awareness of the modern
history of Down syndrome. This challenging and stimulating look at
Down syndrome is a must read for any Christian academic or
layperson interested in what it means to be a human being. --Brian
Brock, Lecturer in Moral and Practical Theology, University of
Aberdeen
With a sharp eye on church history, a compassionate heart that sees
the world from the perspective of a scholar who is also a sibling
of a man with Down Syndrome, an impressive analytical vision of
modern disability perspectives, and the fresh insights of a voice
from Pentecostal theology, Amos Yong is doing just what his title
says, "Reimagining disability." The book is a new, important, and
wonderful contribution to the growing exploration of theology from
the perspective of disability and of disability from the
perspective of theology. --Bill Gaventa, Associate Professor,
Department of Pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/UMDNJ
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