The Word Became Disabled: The Possibilities and Challenges in Systematic Christology for Affirming Disability

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a systematic disability Christology. It asks what disability reveals about Christ's humanity and its relationship with divinity. The aim is not to diagnose Christ, but to use disability as a lens to affirm Christ's vulnerability and limits. How Christ relates to vulnerability is crucial for the norms it creates for humanity and disability. Disability functions not only as a critique but also as a source of constructive insights and alternative imagery for Christology. The main interlocutors of this thesis are Thomas Aquinas and Juergen Moltmann, whose contrasting approaches to suffering, vulnerability, and Christology reveal different possibilities and limitations for disability Christology. The thesis makes three central claims: that Christ's human nature must have sufficient limits to reflect the reality of his humanity; that Christ must not be related to disability through suffering alone; and that there is a need to retain the Chalcedonian distinction between Christ's natures to prevent a curative relationship between the two. The thesis does not rely on a single definition of disability, thereby ensuring space for both the challenging and affirming dimensions of disabled experience.

The thesis proceeds by examining the theological anthropologies of Aquinas and Moltmann to establish how disability is situated within their theologies. It then analyses their Christologies, focusing on physicality and intellect, and how Christ can be understood as vulnerable. Attention turns to their interpretations of the cross, which is a complex area for disability Christology because it risks reinforcing narratives that equate disability with suffering. This thesis argues that a counternarrative is required, one that does not undermine Christ's suffering on the cross but shamelessly promotes the dignity of humanity now. Finally, it examines the relationship between God and humanity and Christ's two natures as they parallel each other and argues that a non-competitive approach retains the integrity and giftedness of human nature and avoids a curative logic. Using the image of a mobility aid, it argues that divine aid is possible without being a corrective. As a result, this work emphasises that disability should be primarily related to Christ's humanity, affirming that God became a vulnerable human, and that this is good.