Curated Bibliographies

An in-person and virtual conference, both practical and academic, focused on faith, disability, spirituality, and religion

Author Erin Raffety speaks about her books, Families We Need: Disability, Abandonment, and Foster Care's Resistance in Contemporary China (2022); and From Inclusion to Justice: Disability, Ministry, and Congregational Leadership (2022) with Joshua Mauldin of the Center of Theological Inquiry on CTI's Theology Matters podcast

"At this point, we wish to point out that the article [A Practical-Theological Phenomenology of Joy: Learning from L’arche] was written and published online before the report of an independent inquiry about Vanier was released. The report concludes that Vanier sexually abused at least six women. This is shocking, and we stand with these women, and strongly condemn Vanier’s abusive behavior. Eventually it will require a re-evaluation of what this means for the written work of Vanier. These are important conversations we must be committed to having, and possibly apply to this article as well."

Dr. John Swinton is a registered nurse and Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. This bonus episode features the full-length interview with Dr. Swinton discussing the importance of love, empathy, and friendship in the midst of a pandemic. He invites ministry leaders to consider the disorientation and confusion of this season through the lens of the passion of Jesus. Portions of this bonus episode were first shared in the episode entitled 'Trauma and Friendship'.

Augustine once said that he knew what time was until someone asked him to describe it. In this episode, John Swinton attempts to do just that. His thoughts on time, traumatic brain injury, and discipleship challenge believers to slow down and settle into God’s time.

April 7, 2021 - A conversation about "radical belonging," being with and for our neighbor

[Login required] Raffety, Erin and Stuart Carroll. 2021. "From Charity to Classroom Co-Learning: Togetherness in the Spirit as a Model for Experiential Education with People with Disabilities." Journal of Disability & Religion 25 (3): 312-328.

[Login required] Raffety, Erin. 2020. "From Inclusion to Leadership: Disabled “Misfitting” in Congregational Ministry." Theology Today (Ephrata, Pa.) 77 (2): 198-209.

[Login required] Cartledge, Michael Paul and Erin Raffety. 2023. "Theological Education with Neurodiversity in Mind: Research Insights and Future Possibilities." Journal of Disability & Religion 27 (4): 606-619.

Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Twitter. AUCD advances policies and practices for all people with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and their communities.

Association of University Centers on Disabilities Instagram

Association of University Centers on Disabilities links

Recordings from the conference

Mathematica’s CSDP was established in 2007 to advance disability policy research, data collection, and program support. Our large, multidisciplinary team works closely with our partners to design policy solutions intended to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Mathematica is located in Princeton, NJ.

"This annual observance is used to promote visibility and mainstream awareness of the positive pride felt by people with disabilities...The first Disability Pride Day was held in Boston in 1990; and first U.S. based Disability Pride Parade was held in Chicago in 2004. Today, Disability Pride Parades are held in a number of places nationwide...These events celebrate "disability culture" with the intention to positively influence the way people think about and/or define disability and to end the stigma of disability."

July 1, 2021 - Kathleen Bogart, Ph.D.

From L'Arche Syracuse, Baylor University, The Wabash Center and The Institute for Disability and Theology, a database of 4,500+ records searchable by keyword, religious tradition, disability type and publication type (art, blog, book, documentary, film, journal article, movie, music, pamphlet, podcast, video and website).

June 28, 2022 - Erin Raffety offers some theological reflection and action steps for congregations desiring to foster inclusion and accessibility.

[Login required] Estes, Joel D. "Imperfection in Paradise: Reading Genesis 2 through the Lens of Disability and a Theology of Limits," Horizons in Biblical Theology 38 (2016): 1-21.

The Institute celebrates, explores, and investigates the ways that: Disability impacts all major theological disciplines as well as the many dimensions of religious life and faith community practices; Theology and practice mutually inform and support one another; Diverse perspectives enrich and inform theological formation and religious practice.

March 2, 2020 article by Erin Raffety, MDiv ’08

Kevin Vollrath. (2020, December 11). Protestantism welcoming People with Disabilities. Database of Religious History, Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia. Retrieved December 11, 2020, from https://religiondatabase.org/browse/915/

An interdisciplinary endeavor, this project brings the theological disciplines into conversation with educational theory and practice as well as research in the social and human sciences.

"In this episode, we speak with Dr. Erin Raffety (MDiv '08), PCUSA pastor and researcher, about her work with persons with disabilities in the church, and how she seeks to use her research to inform deeper, richer pastoral care and conversation within congregations. Erin's goal is to take seriously the voices, experiences, and contributions of people with disabilities in order to enable the church to connect with, learn from, and better minister to people with disabilities."