The death of Jurgen Moltmann last year was a profound loss, not only to theologians and religious scholars, but also to the ecclesiastical community. Known as a theologian of hope who advocates for social justice, peace, and ecological justice, he also left a significant legacy in disability theology. Despite not writing extensively about disability or constructing a systematic theology of disability, he was a pioneering voice from systematic theology who engaged with the topic of disability. In 1989, his article “Liberate Yourself by Accepting One Another” was published in German in Diakonie in Horizont Reiches Gottes (Neukirchener Verlag, Second Edition, 1989). This article, later translated into English by Ulrike R.M. Guthrie, became one of Moltmann’s legacies to disability theology. It's important to note that Moltmann often discussed disability from a personal perspective, as his older brother, Hartwig, lived with severe disability and became one of the victims of euthanasia in the Nazi regime.
Jurgen Moltmann's exploration of liberation in the context of suffering and hope has significantly influenced. This theology of hope and liberative eschatology, rooted in his experience living through World War II, is found in “Theology of Hope,” (1964), along with “The Crucified God” (1972), and “The Church in the Power of the Spirit” (1975). These three books have profoundly impacted theology and ecclesiastical life, encouraging a communal and future-oriented approach. Moltmann's theological work has inspired theological discourses and ecclesiastical life, reaching beyond protestant theology and churches.
In my presentation, I will share my findings on Moltmann's views on disability in his writings, lectures, and interviews. I will also share my findings on Moltmann’s theological influence on the writings of disability theologians. With liberation as the lens, I will outline the impact of Jurgen Moltmann's thought to Nancy Eiesland’s “The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability,” (1994) which reimagines the Christian God as a disabled figure; Amos Yong's “Theology and Down Syndrome,’ (2007), which examines the theological implications of Down Syndrome; Deborah Creamer's “Disability and Christian Theology,” (2008), which explores the intersection of disability and Christian theology, published in the same year, Thomas Reynolds’ “Vulnerable Communion: A Theology of Disability and Hospitality,” which explores the theological implications of disability in the context of Christian community; and John Swinton's “Dementia: Living in the Memories of God,” (2017), which offers a theological reflection on dementia. I will try to find Moltmann's spirits of liberation in the writings of these disability theologians.
The death of Jurgen Moltmann last year was a profound loss, not only to theologians and religious scholars, but also to the ecclesiastical community. Despite not writing extensively about disability or constructing a systematic theology of disability, he was a pioneering voice from systematic theology who engaged with the topic of disability. It is important to note that Moltmann often discussed disability from a personal perspective, as his older brother, Hartwig, lived with severe disability and became one of the victims of euthanasia in the Nazi regime. In my presentation, I will share my findings on Moltmann's views on disability in his writings, lectures, and interviews. I will also share my findings on Moltmann’s theological influence on the writings of disability theologians, namely, Nancy Eeisland, Amos Yong, Deborah Creamer, Thomas Reynolds, and John Swinton. I will try to find Moltmann's spirits of liberation in the writings of these disability theologians.