BOOK | bethanymckinneyfox

The Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus offering physical healing. But even as churches today seek to follow the way of Jesus, people with disabilities all too often experience the very opposite of healing and life-giving community: exclusion, judgment, barriers.

Misinterpretation and misapplication of biblical healing narratives can do great damage, yet those who take the Bible seriously mustn't avoid these passages either.

Bethany McKinney Fox believes that Christian communities are better off when people with disabilities are an integral part of our common life. In Disability and the Way of Jesus, she considers how the stories of Jesus' healings can guide us toward mutual thriving.

How did Jesus' original audience understand his works of healing, and how should we relate to these texts today? After examining the healing narratives in their biblical and cultural contexts, Fox considers perspectives from medical doctors, disability scholars, and pastors to more fully understand what Jesus does as he heals and how he points the way for relationships with people with disabilities. Personal reflections from Christians with disabilities are featured throughout the book, which concludes with suggestions for concrete practices adaptable to a variety of church settings.

Bridging biblical studies, ethics, and disability studies with the work of practitioners, Fox provides a unique resource that is both theologically grounded and winsomely practical. Disability and the Way of Jesus provides new lenses on holistic healing for scholars, laypeople, and ministry leaders who care about welcoming all people as Jesus would.

Praise for Disability and the Way of Jesus:

"I believe this book will make a difference."

-From the foreword by John Swinton

"Eloquent yet simply written, this book is essential reading for pastors, teachers, and anyone wishing to create more inclusive and welcoming churches."

-Devan Stahl, assistant professor of religion, Baylor University

"...a joy to read. ...I cannot imagine preaching or writing about these healing stories without pulling this back off my shelf and reminding myself of what Dr. Fox has to say."

-Bill Gaventa, author of Disability and Spirituality

"...empowers the church to live more fully into such good news so it can be a more welcoming space for all people."

-Amos Yong, author of The Bible, Disability and the Church, and Theology and Down Syndrome

"...an indispensable guide for extending Jesus' holistic healing ministry for people with disabilities in analogically faithful and appropriate ways."

-Paul Louis Metzger, professor of theology and culture, Multnomah University and Seminary

"...carries us along so that we see better than we did before (as we begin to see through her eyes) how our study of Scripture and our patterns of discipleship and ecclesial life can better reflect 'the way of Jesus.'"

-Joel B. Green, Senior Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Fuller Theological Seminary