The Church as the Disabled Body of Christ

The Church as the Disabled Body of Christ

KUNG Lap Yan

This paper points out that the body employed as the metaphor of the church in relation to Christ is implicitly understood as a perfect body rather than a disabled body. As a result, it does not fully disclose the richness of the metaphor. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the experiences of the disabled bring us to a new imagination of life and community as well as a challenge to our understanding of Christology and soteriology. Christ is understood as the disabled Christ in a sense of mutual-dependence, and the resurrection of the flesh is understood as essentialization instead of compensation. In the light of these new imaginations, the metaphor of the church as the disabled body of Christ requires us to see the church as an accessible and inclusive community in the context of love and being loved. Besides, the metaphor challenges discrimination against the disabled in our society.