Disability is not a boundary to holiness, because God is with us. But it can sometimes be an obstacle to full participation in the life of the Church, simply because many do not understand what is needed to help people with disabilities overcome any physical, mental, or interpersonal challenges they may face in church and in leading an Orthodox Christian life. This book addresses the question from theological, practical, and experiential perspectives, giving individuals and families with disabilities the opportunity to voice their needs and suggest some things the rest of us can do to make them welcome in the household of God.
About the Author
As an autistic mother rearing autistic children in the Faith, Summer Kinard knows firsthand many of the challenges of life with disabilities. She brings her extensive background in patristic theology and catechesis (B.A. in religion, M.Div., Th.M. in early church history and theology) to skillfully weave together the healing patterns of Holy Tradition with the daily patterns of life with disabilities. Summer has become acquainted with hundreds of Orthodox families with disabilities through sharing on her website the resources she has developed to make faith accessible to them. At a time when at least twenty percent of people live with disabilities and two percent are autistic, there is an urgent need to apply church teachings to questions about the care and inclusion of persons with disabilities as full members of Christ s Body. Summer brings the grace, kindness, and insight of an experienced teacher and mother to begin answering those questions. Summer Kinard is a Greek Orthodox Christian in the Metropolis of Denver. She lives with her husband Andrew and five children in Texas.
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