Religion plays a critical role in determining how disability is understood and how persons with disabilities are treated. Examining the world's religions through the lens of disability studies not only peers deeply into the character of a particular religion, but also teaches something brand new about what it means to respond to people living with physical and mental differences. Disability and World Religions introduces readers to the rich diversity of the world's religions--Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Native American traditions. Each chapter introduces a specific religious tradition in a manner that offers innovative approaches to familiar themes in contemporary debates about religion and disability, including personhood, autonomy, community, ability, transcendence, morality, practice, the interpretation of texts, and conditioned claims regarding the normal human body or mind. By portraying varied and complex perspectives on the intersection of religion and disability, this volume demonstrates that religious teachings and practices across the globe help establish cultural constructions of normalcy. The volume also interrogates the constructive role religion plays in determining expectations for human physical and mental behavior and in establishing standards for measuring conventional health and well-being. Disability and World Religions thus offers a respectful exploration of global faith traditions and cultivates creative ways to respond to the fields of both religious and disability studies.

"While the struggle for disability rights has transformed secular ethics and public policy, traditional Christian teaching has been slow to account for disability in its theological imagination. Amos Yong crafts both a theology of disability and a theology informed by disability. The result is a Christian theology that not only connects with our present social, medical, and scientific understanding of disability but also one that empowers a set of best practices appropriate to our late modern context"--Publisher description.

This edited collection of essays examines how religions of the world represent, understand, theologize, theorize and respond to disability and chronic illness. Contributors employ a variety of methodological approaches including ethnography, historical, cultural, or textual analysis, personal narrative, and theological/philosophical investigation.

In this indispensable reference tool for parents, students, and pastors alike, Larson analyzes dozens of world religions and spiritual movements from Islam to UFOs, New Age movements to witchcraft. This volume helps address tough questions from a biblical perspective.

Children's and educational.

Understanding other religions is no longer an academic, ivory tower exercise. In this timely and important book, Dr, Braswell provides an introduction to the major world religions, as well as many of the minor ones.

A leading textbook for world religion, this new edition is designed to help students in their study and research of the world's religious traditions. Known and valued for its balanced approach and its respected board of consulting editors, this text addresses ways to study religion, provides broad coverage of diverse religions, and offers an arresting layout with rich illustrations. The second edition has new and extended primary source readings, a stronger section on the Religions of South Asia, additional maps, a new full-color, student-friendly format, and more.

This collection of essays examines how diverse religions of the world represent, understand, theologize, theorize and respond to disability and chronic illness. Contributors employ a variety of methodological approaches including ethnography, historical, cultural, or textual analysis, personal narrative, and theological/philosophical investigation.

This groundbreaking reference offers mental health professionals a rigorous, nuanced guide to working with abuse survivors with disabilities in religious communities. Expert contributors unravel complex intersections of disability, religion, and identity in the context of gender violence (including spotlights on racial, gender, and sexual minorities, Deaf persons, and men), and offer survivor-centered best practices for intervention. Chapters explore how responses from clergy and other religious figures may sometimes prevent survivors from seeking help, and how faith leaders can help to empower survivors. The concepts and research presented here support multiple purposes, from removing barriers to survivor services to working with religious communities to be more inclusive and transparent. Among the topics featured: From barriers to belonging for people with disabilities: Promising pathways toward inclusive ministry. Empowering women with intellectual disabilities to resist abuse in interpersonal relationships. Race, culture, and abuse of persons with disabilities. Ableist shame and disruptive bodies: Survivorship at the intersection of queer, trans, and disabled existence. From the narratives of survivors with disabilities: Strengths and gaps between faith-based communities and domestic violence shelters. Religion, Disability, and Interpersonal Violence brings transformative insights to psychologists, social workers, and mental health professionals across disciplines providing guidance within religious and disabled communities in their clinical practice. It also provides valuable background for researchers seeking to examine the interface between religious culture and the abuse of persons with disabilities.