Beauty from brokenness: Witness and wonder as God works through all bodies

This article draws on personal narrative and art along with disability and the Bible to challenge who is able to witness. Disability creates barriers in how people imagine witness to God taking place. Personal narrative paints a picture of this reality. Yet the gospel flips expectations with ultimat...

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Published inMissiology Vol. 52; no. 4; pp. 380 - 394
Main Author Opie, Andrew K.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.10.2024
Subjects
weakness
art
2 Corinthians
Christian witness
beauty
disability
disability theology
Christian mission
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Abstract This article draws on personal narrative and art along with disability and the Bible to challenge who is able to witness. Disability creates barriers in how people imagine witness to God taking place. Personal narrative paints a picture of this reality. Yet the gospel flips expectations with ultimate beauty as Jesus on the cross. Accordingly, a damaged body points to God working through brokenness to bring blessing. In light of frailty, brokenness, and troubles in this world, this article intersects art, disability and Christian mission to demonstrate how art subverts norms of human strength, and highlights how beauty flows through brokenness. With Paul’s weakness language in 2 Corinthians, disability becomes the showplace for God’s glory.
AbstractList This article draws on personal narrative and art along with disability and the Bible to challenge who is able to witness. Disability creates barriers in how people imagine witness to God taking place. Personal narrative paints a picture of this reality. Yet the gospel flips expectations with ultimate beauty as Jesus on the cross. Accordingly, a damaged body points to God working through brokenness to bring blessing. In light of frailty, brokenness, and troubles in this world, this article intersects art, disability and Christian mission to demonstrate how art subverts norms of human strength, and highlights how beauty flows through brokenness. With Paul’s weakness language in 2 Corinthians, disability becomes the showplace for God’s glory.
Author Opie, Andrew K.
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Cites_doi 10.5040/9780567694379
10.4324/9780203640098
10.1080/00336297.2016.1143849
10.1080/10911350802631644
10.1108/S1479-3547(2010)0000005008
10.1111/j.1749-8171.2012.00366.x
10.1080/15228967.2012.731987
10.1057/9781137001207_11
10.1007/978-1-137-02019-2
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10.1177/002096430005200305
10.4102/hts.v74i1.4738
10.1108/S1479-3547(2010)5
10.2307/3268551
10.1080/23312521.2021.1911737
10.1093/oso/9780192885241.001.0001
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Issue 4
Keywords weakness
art
2 Corinthians
Christian witness
beauty
disability
disability theology
Christian mission
Language English
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