Greensboro College Professor Will Speak on Theology and Disability (4/7/2017)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Benjamin Wall, assistant professor of religion and ethics at Greensboro College, has been selected to deliver the 2017 Jean Vanier Emerging Scholar Lecture at this year’s Summer Institute on Theology and Disability.
The lecture, to be delivered in June at the Summer Institute at Azusa Pacific University in California, honors Vanier, who founded L’Arche, an international nonprofit dedicated to developing homes, programs and support networks for people with intellectual disabilities.
Vanier was awarded the Templeton Prize 2015 for his life and work with L’Arche. He also exemplifies the aspiration of the Summer Institute to combine reflection upon the lives of persons with disabilities and their families with actual engagement in such lives.
Wall’s first book, “Welcome as a Way of Life: A Practical Theology of Jean Vanier,” was published in July. His doctoral thesis also addressed the theological and social forming dynamics of Vanier’s work with L’Arche.
Wall holds a B.A. in biblical studies from the Southeastern College at Wake Forest, an M.A. in Christian Ethics and a Th.M. in theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in practical theology from the University of Aberdeen. He joined the Greensboro College faculty in 2015.
The annual Summer Institute on Theology and Disability brings together academics, theologians and others to explore the inclusive intersections of faith and disabilities.
It is sponsored by the Collaborative on Faith and Disabilities, which supports people with disabilities, their families, and those who support them by providing national and international leadership in the areas of research, education, service, and dissemination related to disability, religion, and inclusive supports.
Greensboro College provides a liberal arts education grounded in the traditions of the United Methodist Church and fosters the intellectual, social, and, spiritual development of all students while supporting their individual needs.
Founded in 1838 and located in downtown Greensboro, the college enrolls about 1,000 students from 29 states and territories, the District of Columbia, and seven foreign countries in its undergraduate liberal-arts program and four master’s degree programs. In addition to rigorous academics and a well-supported Honors program, the school features an 18-sport NCAA Division III athletic program and dozens of service and recreational opportunities.
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