Book Chapters by Louise Gosbell
Dictionary of Paul and his Letters (2nd edition, 2023), 2023
Dictionary entry from "The Dictionary of Paul and his Letters" 2nd edition (2023)
The Christian gospel compels humanity to embrace deeper ways of being human together that will ov... more The Christian gospel compels humanity to embrace deeper ways of being human together that will overcome false divisions and exclusions in search of flourishing and graced communities. Presenting both short narratives emerging out of theological reflection on experience and analytical essays arising from engagement in scholarly conversations Theology and the Experience of Disability is a conscious attempt to develop theology by and with people with disabilities instead of theology about people with disabilities. A mixture of academic, professional, practical, and/or lived experience is brought to the topic in search of constructive multi-disciplinary proposals for church and society. The result is an interdisciplinary engagement with the constructive possibilities that emerge from a distinctly Christian understanding of disability as lived experience.
"Making Sense of Motherhood: Biblical and Theological Perspectives", 2016
Romans and the Legacy of St Paul, 2019
Innovating Christian Education Research: Multidisciplinary Perspectives, 2021
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for teaching and learning developed to give al... more Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for teaching and learning developed to give all students equal access to education and to meet the needs of all students in the classroom. The principles of UDL focus attention on flexible learning environments with multi-modal teaching styles that can accommodate individual learning abilities and strengths. While this model is often considered specifically in relation to the inclusion of students with disability and learning difficulties, the benefits of the UDL approach are wide-reaching. With a focus on atypical learning styles and different methods of feeding back learned information, UDL is beneficial for all learners and not just those labelled as having a disability or learning difficulties. Despite the documented advantages to all learners of the UDL approach, higher education providers, including Christian institutions, have been slow to adopt the inclusive principles of UDL. This chapter will outline the current protocols for seeking accommodations for students with disability in higher education in Australia as directed in the Disability Standards for Education (DSE). After a summation of the limitations of the current approaches to including students with disability in tertiary education in Australia, this chapter will outline the aims and methodology of the principles of UDL and consider its application in Christian higher education. The final section will give a theological rationale for why the inclusion of students with disability should be a priority for theological education and provide practical examples of what UDL might look like in the theological classroom.
Sensory Experience and the Gospel of John
Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture, 2021
God's Grace Inscribed on the Human Heart Essays in Honour of James R. Harrison (Early Christian Studies, 23) Edited by, 2022
This chapter addresses the relationship between Paul’s use of the lan- guage of grace (charis) an... more This chapter addresses the relationship between Paul’s use of the lan- guage of grace (charis) and the grace-gifts (charisma) in the letters of Paul. In his work on charis, James R. Harrison asserts the significance of this theme in the letters of Paul and the way in which Paul depicts charis as overturning the obligations of the Graeco-Roman reciproc- ity system. Charis is demonstrated most clearly in the Christ-event but is now also displayed in the relationships between the members of the Body of Christ. Building upon James R. Harrison’s assessment of charis in the Pauline literature, this chapter explores the impact of his interpretation of charis on an understanding of Paul’s references to the charisma, the grace-gifts. Although not semantically equivalent terms, the relationship between charis and charisma is significant. The cha- risma are God’s grace-gifts given to believers through the Spirit so that believers are equipped to be benefactors to one another: interdepen- dent and living in mutuality and service to one another and to God. This chapter will explore the bearing of Harrison’s research of charis on the concept of the charisma in Paul’s letters, especially Paul’s lan- guage of the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12 where the language of the charisma is most heavily concentrated. In light of this, the chapter will also explore the implications of these conclusions on Paul’s alleged imperative in 1 Corinthians 12:31 to ‘zealously seek the greater gifts’.
Testing Us Testing God Assessment and Theological Competency Edited by, 2022
Journal Articles by Louise Gosbell
The statement, "the body of Christ is disabled without the presence of people with disability" is... more The statement, "the body of Christ is disabled without the presence of people with disability" is one that makes regular appearances in works of disability theologians and practitioners. The pithy aphorism is meant to serve as a prompt to remind church communities that they need to be places where people with disability can be active and contributing members. However, upon closer examination, it becomes apparent that the statement is problematic and, as a result, ends up perpetuating the notion that disability is undesirable and to be avoided. This article outlines two primary objections to the use of the phrase and offers in its place an alternative way of understanding the place of people with disability both in the body of Christ and in our church communities.
Journal of Gospels and Acts Research, 2018
Practical Theology, 2019
This reflection considers the implications of the Christian faith as embodied and sensory in resp... more This reflection considers the implications of the Christian faith as embodied and sensory in respect to worship practices, especially for people with intellectual disability. The reflection addresses the way in which Christian communities overlook the worship needs and abilities of people with intellectual disability but suggests that more embodied and sensory forms of worship are not just beneficial for people with disability but for all people partaking in worship practices.
Journal of Disability and Religion, 2021
Since the inception of the field of disability theology, questions have been raised about the pla... more Since the inception of the field of disability theology, questions have been raised about the place of disabilities in the resurrection. Some scholars contend that disability is a direct consequence of the fall of humanity and thus consider disability as incongruous with life in a perfect and redeemed creation. Other scholars, however, see disability as part of the natural diversity of humanity and allow for the retention of at least some disabilities in the future kingdom. In his 2019 volume Woundrously Wounded, Brian Brock attempts to redirect discussions about disability to the present kingdom encouraging believers to consider anew the place of people with disabilities in church communities. Brock proposes that using Paul's Body of Christ imagery serves as a useful model for church communities with its emphasis on valuing, including, and celebrating all members. The challenge of the Body of Christ is to recognize that all members are dependent and interconnected and that human abilities and disabilities do not hinder God's work in and through the Body to bring about his purposes. This paper will give a brief overview of both the elimination and retention models of disability as well as outlining Brock's challenge to refocus attention on the Body of Christ as the inclusive model for living for churches in the today.
Papers by Louise Gosbell
This document was written for the Social Issues Committee of the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican C... more This document was written for the Social Issues Committee of the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church. It is a guide book to assist churches in the diocese work towards becoming more intentional in thinking about disability inclusion and ensuring churches are places of belonging for people living with disability.
Disability and the Body of Christ (Luke's Journal)
Monographs by Louise Gosbell
"'The Poor, The Crippled, The Blind, and the Lame': Physical and Sensory Disability in the Gospels of the New Testament"
The New Testament gospels feature numerous social exchanges between Jesus and people with various... more The New Testament gospels feature numerous social exchanges between Jesus and people with various physical and sensory disabilities. Despite this, traditional biblical scholarship has not seen these people as agents in their own right but existing only to highlight the actions of Jesus as a miracle worker. In this study, Louise A. Gosbell uses disability as a lens through which to explore a number of these passages anew. Using the cultural model of disability as the theoretical basis, she explores the way that the gospel writers, as with other writers of the ancient world, used the language of disability as a means of understanding, organising, and interpreting the experiences of humanity. Her investigation highlights the ways in which the gospel writers reinforce and reflect, as well as subvert, culturally-driven constructions of disability in the ancient world.
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Book Chapters by Louise Gosbell
Journal Articles by Louise Gosbell
Papers by Louise Gosbell
Monographs by Louise Gosbell