Course Code: BID05

Towards Inclusive Communities: Disability Perspectives

(to be taught by instructors from Biblical, Theology, and Ministry clusters)

BD H, Semester 1, 2 Credit Hours, College Paper, No Final Examination

(It is Compulsory for the College to submit the Marks through Online Portal)

Course Objectives

1. To challenge the students to affirm the agency of the people living with disabilities and to problematize and understand disabilities from the perspective of the physically and mentally differently-abled peoples.
2. To encourage the students to understand the social, gender, economic, religious, and cultural stigma and discrimination attached to disabilities critically.
3. To enable the students to engage in biblical, theological, and ethical reflections on disabilities.
4. To inspire the students to initiate and to engage in ministries of compassionate justice along with the differently-abled people.
5. To motivate the students to create awareness in church and society to build inclusive communities of healing, wholeness, and restoration.

Note

No Final Examinations. Class work, seminars, papers, project, and other methods would be determined to examine students.

Course Requirements

• Internal Assessment: 40%
• A research paper on a selected topic on Disability: 30%
• Study to visit an agency involved in the ministry among people with disabilities and write a reflection paper: 30%

Course Outline

Unit 1: Introduction

• A. Definition of terms: ‘inclusive society’ and ‘disability’
• B. Persons with Disabilities in Indian Society
  • i. Historical Insights
    • a. Disability and caste
    • b. Disability and gender
    • c. Disability and poverty
    • d. Disability and war
    • e. Disability and globalization
    • f. Disability and religious fundamentalism and communalism
  • ii. Identifying the Problems
    • Stigma and discrimination, taboos, reincarnation, karma-samsara (rebirth), psychological issues, attitudes, sexuality, isolation, etc.
  • iii. Church and Persons with Disabilities
  • iv. Services to the Persons with Disabilities
    • Education, employment, health, infrastructure, etc.
  • v. Legislations on Disability
  • vi. Disability Rights Movements

Unit 2: Disability and Inclusive Community: Critiquing Traditional Biblical and Theological Interpretations

• A. Hermeneutics:
  • i. Traditional understanding with regard to Persons with Disabilities: curse and punishment (Num. 12; Lev. 21. 18-21; Deut. 28)
  • ii. Re-reading of the Bible from the perspective of Persons with Disabilities (John 9; Matt. 12; 15; Mark 5. 24-34)
• B. Theological Interpretations:
  • i. God and Creation: The doctrine of creation; the sovereign and perfect God and the imperfect creation; commonalities and differences; implications of “being made in the image and likeness of God”
  • ii. Sin and Salvation: Biblical and theological views on disability; pre-destination and disability; sin and suffering; body and soul; disability and wholeness; healing and curing
  • iii. Discerning God as the Disabled God
  • iv. Christological reflection on the broken risen Christ
  • v. Ecclesiology: Belonging to the Body of Christ; a Church of all and for all
  • vi. Reinterpreting Eschatology: Death, resurrection, and eternal life

Unit 3: Disability and Inclusive Community: Religio-Cultural Considerations

• A brief survey of perspectives and practices related to disability, and insights of inclusive community in different religious traditions.

Unit 4: Disability in the Global Context – A Brief Survey

• A. UNO and Human Rights
• B. Disability Movements
  • International Disability Alliance (IDA)
  • World Blind Union (WBU)
  • Disabled People International (DPI)
  • International Federation of the Deaf (IFD)
  • World Network of Psychiatric Users and Survivors (WNPU&S)
  • World Union of Deaf and Blind (WUDB)
  • Inclusion International (II)
• C. NGOs
  • Rehabilitation International (RI)
  • Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM)
• D. Ecumenical Initiatives (WCC, CCA, NCCs)

Unit 5: Disability and Inclusive Community: Pastoral and Ministerial Considerations

• A. Recognizing persons with disabilities as members of the family of God and full participant members of the total life and ministry of the church; respecting and utilizing different gifts; giving expressions to practical implications of healing, hospitality, and integration.
• B. The role of the church in making appropriate infrastructure accessible.
• C. Expressing solidarity by supporting the families of persons with disabilities.
• D. Engage the church in building inclusive community in society.

Required Readings

• Arulampalam, Stephen. ‘Persons with disabilities in society and church in Asia.’ In Asian Handbook for Theological Education and Ecumenism, edited by Hope S. Antone, Wati A. Longchar, and Huang Po Ho, 420-428. Oxford: Regnum, 2013.
• Arulampalam, Stephen. ‘A Study of the Importance of Disability Theology in a Sri Lankan Church Context.’ Journal of the Colombo Theological Seminary, 2013, 45-58.
• Eiesland, Nancy L. The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Understanding of Disability. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1994.
• Eiesland, Nancy L. and Donald E. Saliers. Human Disability and the Service of God: Reassessing Religious Practice. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1998.
• George, Samuel. “Persons with Disabilities in India.” In Persons with Disabilities in Society: Problems and Challenges, edited by Wati Longchar and Gordon Cowans, 1, 33-46. Manila, The Philippines: ATESEA, 2007.
• Gine, R. Dipti. “Persons with Disabilities in Bangladesh” in Doing Theology from Disability Perspective. A Theological Resource Book on Disability. Edited by Wati Longchar & Gordon Cowans. Manila: Association for Theological Education in Southeast Asia (ATESEA), 2011, 64-76.
• Longchar, W. and G. Cowans. Persons with Disabilities in Society: Problems and Challenges. Vol. 1. Manila: ATESEA, 2007.
• Longchar, W. Disabled God amidst Broken People: Doing Theology from Disability Perspective. Manila: ATESEA, 2007.
• Rajkumar, Christopher (ed.), Embracing Inclusive Communities: A Disability Perspective, Nagpur: NCCI/BTESSC, 2010.
• Victus, Solomon. “Monotheism, Monarchy, Monoculture” Asia Journal of Theology, Bangalore: BTESSC/SATHRI, Vol. 24, No. 2, Oct. 2010, p. 179-196.

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