A Review of Molly Haslam's "A Constructive Theology of Intellectual Disability"
A Review of Molly Haslam's "A Constructive Theology of Intellectual Disability" by Pam Harmon
We live in a world of stereotypes. We all assume things about people because of where they are from, their family, the school they go to, their disability, etc. We pass judgment because of race or religion without getting to know the person behind the label. For example, one of our immersion staff associates in Nashville went to school in the SEC, so people assume she LOVES football. She recently moved to Nashville and many people have assumed that she moved here to pursue a music
career. In the past when she has told people that she is from Mississippi, they have asked her if she wears shoes (yes, that was a real question). Well, she does love football, she has zero musical talent, and believe it or not people from Mississippi do wear shoes. These are small examples of assumptions that people have made that haven’t really made an impact on her life, but sometimes assumptions do make a difference.
Some people live with a label, and along with that label come many assumptions. For example, many people with Down Syndrome are fun, affectionate, and generally happy people. But what if they are cranky and have had a bad day? That wouldn’t match the usual perceived characteristics of someone with Down syndrome! What about people who use wheelchairs? Maybe we assume they aren’t athletic or maybe we assume they have an intellectual disability as well a a physical disability. Those assumptions don’t prove to be true when we watch the Paralympics or when I watch my friend Will, who uses a wheelchair, thrive in Law School. And what about our friends who are non-verbal? Many people assume they have nothing to say! Communication devices have proven that wrong. My friend Evan has plenty of stories, jokes, and questions, but he can’t tell us about them without typing on his phone.
If we stay in the realm of stereotypes and labels, we miss so much in a relationship. In our minds, that person is only what we assume about them to be true. When we are able to see people for the whole of who they are, we are able to move towards the realization that the Creator of the Universe made every single one of us uniquely in his image. This semester our YL Capernaum Immersion staff associates in Nashville have been given the opportunity to participate in a weekly study group with Jaco Hamman, professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School. We recently read and discussed the book "A Constructive Theology of Intellectual Disability" by Molly C. Haslam. Haslam states that a “Human being becomes an I on account of the Thou.” She is saying that we are humans because of our relationship with other people and/or with God. When we enter into a relationship and get to know the other person for who he or she was made to be, that is when we each become an “I” rather than an “It”.
One of the immersion staff associates writes, “I wish I could see all people through Jesus' eyes. If we could borrow his eyes and see the beauty of each person rather than their labels, it would be a wonderful world. I pray that I can move past these stereotypes and allow people to be who they really are. We need to let people be who they are on their best and worst days - to break through the labels and be their true self. If we can work past labels, we can grow in deeper relationships with people, deeper relationships with ourselves, and have a more intimate relationship with God.”
We live in a world of stereotypes. We all assume things about people because of where they are from, their family, the school they go to, their disability, etc. We pass judgment because of race or religion without getting to know the person behind the label. For example, one of our immersion staff associates in Nashville went to school in the SEC, so people assume she LOVES football. She recently moved to Nashville and many people have assumed that she moved here to pursue a music
Some people live with a label, and along with that label come many assumptions. For example, many people with Down Syndrome are fun, affectionate, and generally happy people. But what if they are cranky and have had a bad day? That wouldn’t match the usual perceived characteristics of someone with Down syndrome! What about people who use wheelchairs? Maybe we assume they aren’t athletic or maybe we assume they have an intellectual disability as well a a physical disability. Those assumptions don’t prove to be true when we watch the Paralympics or when I watch my friend Will, who uses a wheelchair, thrive in Law School. And what about our friends who are non-verbal? Many people assume they have nothing to say! Communication devices have proven that wrong. My friend Evan has plenty of stories, jokes, and questions, but he can’t tell us about them without typing on his phone.
If we stay in the realm of stereotypes and labels, we miss so much in a relationship. In our minds, that person is only what we assume about them to be true. When we are able to see people for the whole of who they are, we are able to move towards the realization that the Creator of the Universe made every single one of us uniquely in his image. This semester our YL Capernaum Immersion staff associates in Nashville have been given the opportunity to participate in a weekly study group with Jaco Hamman, professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School. We recently read and discussed the book "A Constructive Theology of Intellectual Disability" by Molly C. Haslam. Haslam states that a “Human being becomes an I on account of the Thou.” She is saying that we are humans because of our relationship with other people and/or with God. When we enter into a relationship and get to know the other person for who he or she was made to be, that is when we each become an “I” rather than an “It”.
One of the immersion staff associates writes, “I wish I could see all people through Jesus' eyes. If we could borrow his eyes and see the beauty of each person rather than their labels, it would be a wonderful world. I pray that I can move past these stereotypes and allow people to be who they really are. We need to let people be who they are on their best and worst days - to break through the labels and be their true self. If we can work past labels, we can grow in deeper relationships with people, deeper relationships with ourselves, and have a more intimate relationship with God.”
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