Crippled Grace: Disability, Virtue Ethics, and the Good Life

Studies in Religion, Theology, and Disability

by Shane Clifton

Crippled Grace combines disability studies, Christian theology, philosophy, and psychology to explore what constitutes happiness and how it is achieved. The virtue tradition construes happiness as whole-of-life flourishing earned by practiced habits of virtue. Drawing upon this particular understanding of happiness, Clifton contends that the experience of disability offers significant insight into the practice of virtue, and thereby the good life. With its origins in the author’s experience of adjusting to the challenges of quadriplegia,  Crippled Grace considers the diverse experiences of people with a disability as a lens through which to understand happiness and its attainment. Drawing upon the virtue tradition as much as contesting it, Clifton explores the virtues that help to negotiate dependency, resist paternalism, and maximize personal agency. Through his engagement with sources from Aristotle to modern positive psychology, Clifton is able to probe fundamental questions of pain and suffering, reflect on the value of friendship, seek creative ways of conceiving of sexual flourishing, and outline the particular virtues needed to live with unique bodies and brains in a society poorly fitted to their diverse functioning.   Crippled Grace is about and for people with disabilities. Yet, Clifton also understands disability as symbolic of the human condition—human fragility, vulnerability, and embodied limits. First unmasking disability as a bodily and sociocultural construct, Clifton moves on to construct a deeper and more expansive account of flourishing that learns from those with disability, rather than excluding them. In so doing, Clifton shows that the experience of disability has something profound to say about all bodies, about the fragility and happiness of all humans, and about the deeper truths offered us by the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love.

Genres: Theology, Disability, Disability Studies, Nonfiction

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2018

Reviews

[Josiah Hasbrouck · Rating 2 out of 5]

12/23 UPDATE upon reading large chunks of this more carefully:
I really don't think I can recommend this. Clifton is a sloppy writer, frequently making claims that he says he's substantiated but hasn't. He's also a sloppy scholar, presenting shallow and not entirely accurate versions of very disparate theories and acting like they're compatible; I spent hours trying to get the various theoretical frameworks he pulls from to fit together coherently, and they just don't. Vaguely implying that Martha Nussbaum's capabilities should be considered aspects of the imago dei is one of the theoretical moves of all time though, Clifton gets funny points for that one. And the sexuality stuff is still unbelievably bad.

11/24 review
Clifton raises some important and interesting questions about disability ethics and answers few of them. I think this is mostly intentional, though, and the biggest strength of the book is probably his unwillingness to be satisfied with simple answers. His treatment of virtue ethics and various other themes is fine, but usually lacks much depth or precision and is undercut by some clear (and often problematic) theoretical biases. His treatment of Scripture is largely uncompelling and at times irresponsible or ill-informed. Ch. 7 may be the worst ostensibly Christian treatment of sexuality I've ever read. I didn't read the book carefully enough to responsibly rate it (except for Ch. 7, which I can confidently give a 0/5), but I doubt I would recommend it unless you have a particular research interest in disability ethics and want to read everything that's of at least moderately passable quality.

[Jitse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique book in its combination of virtue ethics, Christianity, and disability studies. Insightful on multiple levels: what disability means to people, what a Christian perspective is on the good life. Good to note it’s an introductory read: it is very to the point and clearly written. It takes the core of the issue and brings it out in front.
Sometimes I felt there was a more in-depth follow-up that could be done, but was left out for purpose of readability. All in all, recommended!

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did a great job of bringing together important themes relating to disability and flourishing, considering and amplifying a broad range of voices.

A few chapters stood out to me as especially brilliant contributions to the conversation:
⭐ Disability, theodicy and the problem of pain - I've read plenty of stuff on theodicy but this chapter was thorough, clear, concise and authentic in a way I haven't seen anywhere else
⭐Disability, sexuality, and intimacy - broad-minded, broad-hearted, inclusive and encouraging of creativity, agency and care
⭐Disability, grace, and the virtue of letting go of control - vulnerable and profound discussion on humility & disabled pride, grace and socially-transformative forgiveness