Formed Together - (Studies in Religion, Theology, and Disability) by Keith Dow (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Joy, pain, celebration, and grief are constant companions on the journey of caregiving. While remaining detached might seem the preferable option, it is not possible to disentangle the threads of our interwoven stories. Our lives are shaped by each other. We are transformed by our encounters.

In Formed Together, Keith Dow explores the questions of why we should, and why we do, care for one another. He considers what it means for human beings to be interdependent, created in the image of a loving God. Dow recounts personal experiences of supporting people with intellectual disabilities while drawing upon theological and philosophical sources to discover the ethical underpinnings of Christian care. Formed Together reveals that human beings care for one another not merely by choice, but because every person relies upon others. People are called together in mutually formative practices of care, and human flourishing means learning to care well. Dow suggests five virtues that mark ethical caregiving, such as humble courage and quiet attentiveness. These practices can help guide caregivers in responding to the divine call to care.

Dow demonstrates that ethical practices of care do not depend upon intelligence or rational ability. Many are called to the vocation of tending to and being present in the needs of others. To be formed together in the divine image means that caregivers never entirely comprehend themselves, others, or God. Rather, caring well means that humans are to accompany one another in and through experiences of profound mystery and revelation.

Review Quotes

How to resist such a powerful, consumerist, ableist throwaway culture in this context? Enter Keith Dow and his new book Formed Together: Mystery, Narrative, and Virtue in Christian Caregiving. In a brilliant mix of rigorous academic arguments and references to his experience as a caregiver himself, Dow's book builds on the one concept that can hold together the radical equality of all human beings, including profoundly disabled human beings: the imago Dei.

As a theologian, pastor, and a professional caregiver for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, I was delighted to find a framework for faith-based caregiving in this book. Words such as 'calling, ' 'virtue, ' 'neighbor, ' 'love, ' 'friendship, ' 'mutuality, ' 'divinity, ' 'mercy, ' 'grace, ' 'humility, ' and 'forgiveness' are abundantly used in theology but seldom used in professional caregiving. Keith Dow has combined the work of direct support professionals with the language of imago Dei, the image of God. The concepts in this book are applicable beyond the world of ID/DD and have a place in the wider conversation of, 'Who is my neighbor?' and how Christians should develop relationships with their neighbors. I recommend this book for human service agency recruiters, trainers, and frontline workers.

About the Author

Keith Dow (PhD, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) is Manager of Organizational and Spiritual Life at Christian Horizons.