Eastern European Journal of Theology” calls for papers for the next issue 22.2 "Disability Theology: Eastern European Context"

2024-06-17

Dear colleagues, the Editorial Board of “Theological Reflections: Eastern European Journal of Theology ” invites papers that reflect on disability in Eastern European context.

The problems of people with disabilities affect not only doctors and therapists. In the twentieth century, they drew attention of sociologists, philosophers, and cultural critics. What began as a movement for a decent independent life for veterans of the two world wars turned into a movement for the rights of a minority that was systematically pushed to the periphery of public life. This resulted in changes in the legal and social spheres. In the early 1980s, the foundations were laid for a whole new field - disability studies. And in the 1990s, the field attracted attention of theologians. 

Speaking about Ukrainian reality, according to official statistics, 2.7 million people with disabilities were registered in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion. According to the available data, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the number of such people has increased by at least 300,000 of those who became disabled due to the war. This number is likely to grow as the fighting continues.

All this raises a serious question: are the churches of Eastern Europe and Ukraine ready for this new reality? To what extent do our theology and church practices take into account such people? Are we ready not only to see them on our streets in everyday life but also to accept them on their terms, according to their capabilities? What do we consider "normal" and why?

The editorial board would like to dedicate the next issue of the journal (22.2, 2024) to the discussion of disability from biblical, theological, historical, and practical perspectives. We invite theologians, Christian philosophers, pastors, and practitioners to contribute. Articles may address but are not limited by the following topics:

  • Disability theology as a critique of “normality” and “ableness”
  • Disability in the Old and New Testaments
  • Healing in the New Testament: a perspective from disability theology
  • The fall, broken creation, and disability
  • The cross of Christ and disability theology
  • Disability and Imago Dei
  • Disability and the resurrection of the body
  • Inclusivity, accessibility, and accepting the Other
  • People with disability in Church history
  • The Church as the Body of Christ: implications for disability theology
  • Church of all and for all?
  • Open community and open table: liturgical and ecclesiological aspects of disability
  • Ministering to others or ministering with others?
  • Disability in mass culture

We consider original papers, overview papers, and reviews on this complex subject. The paper should not exceed 5,000 words. 

The deadline for submission – September 15, 2024. The estimated date of publication is December 15, 2024.

To submit the paper, you need to upload it on the journal’s website: http://reflections.eeit-edu.info/about/submissions. The author’s guidelines should be consulted at the link http://reflections.eeit-edu.info/guidelines. Should you have additional questions or suggestions, write to us at reflections@eeit-edu.info.