In God’s Image: Recognizing the Profoundly Impaired as Persons

254 Pages·2018·1.443 MB·English

by  Peter A. Comensoli, Nigel Zimmermann (editor)

In God’s Image

In God’s Image
Recognizing the
Profoundly Impaired as Persons
•
Peter A. Comensoli
edited by Nigel Zimmermann
!!
CASCADE Books • Eugene, Oregon
IN GOD’S NAME
Recognizing the Profoundly Impaired as Persons
Copyright © 2018 Peter A. Comensoli. All rights reserved. Except for brief quota-
tions in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in
any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permis-
sions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
Cascade Books
An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
www.wipfandstock.com
paperback isbn: 978-1-62564-632-3
hardcover isbn: 978-1-4982-8537-7
ebook isbn: 978-1-5326-5284-4
Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Names: Comensoli, Peter A., author. | Zimmermann, Nigel, editor.
Title: In God’s name : recognizing the profoundly impaired as persons / Peter A.
Comensoli ; edited by Nigel Zimmermann.
Description: Eugene, OR : Cascade Books, 2018 | Includes bibliographical refer-
ences and index.
Identifiers: isbn 978-1-62564-632-3 (paperback) | isbn 978-1-4982-8537-7 (hard-
cover) | isbn 978-1-5326-5284-4 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: People with disabilities—Religious aspects—Christianity.
Classification: BT135 .C65 2018 (print) | BT135 .C65 (ebook)
Manufactured in the U.S.A. April 9, 2018
For Peter and Marco, and for all who live their lives at the extremes
of the human condition.
Friends of God, one and all.
Et ait Deus:
‘Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostrum . . .’
Et creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam;
ad imaginem Dei creavit illum;
masculum et feminam creavit eos.
—GENESIS 1:26, 27
Remember we are but travellers here.
—ST. MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction Persons among Persons? Picturing the Profoundly
Impaired in a Non-impaired World 1
chapter 1 Life Lived at the Extremes: A Catholic Voice amid the
Human Peripheries 15
chapter 2 “People Just Like Other People”: Reinders’ Reimagined
Anthropology of the Profoundly Impaired 32
chapter 3 A Thoroughly Human Enterprise: The Place of
Friendship in a Christian Anthropology 63
chapter 4 Friendship-Made: Friendship, Humanity, and the
Profoundly Impaired 88
chapter 5 Being a Creature: Recovering the Human Project 111
chapter 6 The Pilgrim Creature: Hope and Human Life 133
chapter 7 Imago Dei: “The Nature That We Have” 156
chapter 8 Drawing Near to Christ: Measuring the Human
Condition 184
Conclusion “Beyond Inclusion!”: Humanity Lived under the
Condition of Impairment 213
Bibliography 225
Index 235

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
With sincere and grateful thanks to:
Oliver O’Donovan and Fergus Kerr, OP, who were my patient, wise, and
insightful doctoral supervisors, the thesis of which this book originates.
The many friends and colleagues at New College, Edinburgh Univer-
sity, who surrounded me with scholarly collaboration and ecumenical
friendship over the years of research and writing.
Hans Reinders, that tower of theological accompaniment with the pro-
foundly disabled, who encouraged me to publish this work, knowing that
I am a critical friend of his own work.
Nigel Zimmermann, who has been my good friend, theological compan-
ion, and attentive editor.
ix