Disability Ministry and Theology

Program Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Disability Ministry and Theology begins from the fact that a large proportion of every community lives with disability and a much smaller proportion is present in most congregations. That gap is not primarily architectural. It is theological: it reflects assumptions about what a full human life looks like, who can be a minister rather than a recipient of ministry, and whether healing narratives imply that disabled bodies are problems awaiting solution. Students engage disability studies and its models — medical, social, and relational — and then work through the theological questions properly: the image of God and whether it depends on capacity; the interpretation of biblical healing narratives and the texts that exclude the blemished from priestly service; suffering, lament, and the refusal of easy answers; the resurrection body and what continuity means for a disabled person; intellectual disability and sacramental participation; and the church as a body whose weaker members are indispensable. Practice follows: accessible worship and preaching, catechesis and sacramental inclusion for people with intellectual disability, support for families and carers, mental health and neurodivergence, employment and vocation, autonomy and consent, and the recruitment of disabled people into leadership rather than programmes designed for them by others. The dissertation contributes original research on a theological question or a practice of inclusion. Graduates teach theology and disability studies, direct inclusion ministries, advise denominations and institutions, and lead congregations toward belonging that does not depend on cure.

Core Courses

• DIS 801 — Disability Studies and Theological Anthropology (6 credits)
• DIS 812 — Scripture, Healing, and Blemish (6 credits)
• DIS 824 — Suffering, Lament, and the Resurrection Body (6 credits)
• DIS 836 — Sacramental and Catechetical Inclusion (6 credits)
• DIS 848 — Congregational Practice and Leadership (5 credits)
• DIS 860 — Participatory Research Design (4 credits)
• DIS 899 — Doctoral Dissertation in Disability Theology (24 credits)
• DIS 870 — Accessible Research and Shared Theological Authority (3 credits)

Credit requirements

• Core courses: 60 credits
• Required elective credits: 9 credits

Total required: 69 credits

Elective Courses

Complete 9 credits from the options below (18 credits offered).

• DIS 910 — Mental Health and the Congregation (3 credits)
• DIS 920 — Autism and Neurodivergence in Church Life (3 credits)
• DIS 930 — Ethics of Care, Autonomy, and Consent (3 credits)
• DIS 940 — Teaching Disability Theology (3 credits)
• DIS 950 — Disability, Vocation, and Church Leadership (3 credits)
• DIS 951 — Accessible Ritual and Congregational Communication (3 credits)

Admission Requirements

• Master's degree in theology, ministry, ethics, or a closely related field
• Ministry, advocacy, or teaching experience in the area of specialization
• Statement of purpose naming the community, question, or practice your research serves
• Academic writing sample or substantial ministry portfolio
• Current curriculum vitae or ministry profile
• Official transcripts from prior institutions when available