Who sinned? This inquisitive
remark within the Johannine literature reflects the congruence of sin and disability
in our common human mindset and was the theme of Day 2 of #SITD Dallas.
Quick Synopsis
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| Dr. Darly Schumm @ SITD Dallas |
In 4 different sessions we dove deep and drank from this
well. Dr. Darla Schumm, lectured on
the healing of the blind man (John 9) from the perspective of a theologian with
a visual impairment, challenging those of us temporarily able bodied to experience
darkness while listening blindfolded for an hour. Jaime Clark-Soles framed this
passages within John’s Incarnation prologue (John 1:1-18) and post-resurrection
commissioning (John 21). She continued
in the third session by comparing and contrasting the healing of the lame man (John5) and with the healing of the blind man (John 9). Jeremy Schipper concluded the final session
by identifying the blind and lame characters in the OT- revealing these simple
categories of impairment do not reflect the wide spectrum of possible severity.
My Reflections
I appreciated the disability privileged readings and the use
of analogic imagination in the gap narratives. Their use shapes the setting and
drama of the events, providing potentially new and liberating insights. In many ways, this imaginative hermeneutic is
not much different than that practiced in the inductive studies common in the
evangelical subculture. I, however, as a
conservative, evangelical, pentecostal become troubled at some of resulting
interpretations which seemed to minimize the interrupting eschatological work
of Christ. In Amos Yong’s earlier
comments he challenged charismatics to intentionally read from a non normate
perspective, precisely because their global growth coupled with phenomenological
experience could lead (and has led) to unbalanced proclamation. To be sure, all
lecturers today acknowledged that there is no monolithic experience of
disability – For every disability theologian, there is a slightly different
take on these texts.
Jaime Clark-Soles suggestion that the parents of the man
born blind were perhaps at fault for choosing a life of community in the
synagogue rather than defending their son, I, as a parent of a daughter with
DS, became uncomfortable. I am more than willing to allow scriptural
texts to challenge my thinking, yet my mind flashed through dozens of IEP
meetings, where I’ve been either the school administrator, the special educator,
the independent advocate, or the parent.
I’ve seen the passionate response from modern parents --- yet I am also
aware of the practices of antiquity – so I yearn for a different explanation. Making a binary choice – between community
and a son – is harmful to all. Too many
family caregivers have little community and social relationship. I wasn’t the only parent present disturbed by
those images. For fellow attendee Samuel Caraballlo’s response – click here.
In my final comment, I wanted to explore the hermeneutic of
liberation and suspicion. The rejection
of binary paradigms and the influence of Foucalt and Derrida has helped
constructive theology to highlight oversights and tease out nuance. Yet constructive theology based on textual criticism
without the influence of the fields of covenental Biblical meta-narrative, systematic
theology, and historical theology strain against the three legged framework of
church tradition, worshiping community, and scriptural revelation cherished by
many evangelicals. Liberation – like many
other categories is a spectrum of thought.
Fredrick Ware’s analysis of three strands of liberation thought within
the methodologies of black theology is helpful.
Many evangelicals are comfortable in the first strand, the one based
within the worshiping community which uses the Eschatological language of
Exodus, yet are uncomfortable in the others.
Finally, I am glad the lecturers are “thick skinned.” Furthermore, I appreciate their work,
insight, and experience and am gratefully transformed by it. Unfortunately, few voices in the evangelical
/ charismatic academy have yet to fully address and reconcile their
perspectives within the disability. I
look forward to their emergence.
