Theology without Words: Theology in the Deaf Community

This book is a study of a Christian theology without words, focussing on theology in the Deaf Community. Deaf people's first and preferred method of communication is not English or any other spoken language, but British Sign Language - a language that cannot be written down. Deaf people of faith attend church on a regular basis, profess faith in God and have developed unique approaches to doing theology. While most Western theology is word-centred and is either expressed through or dependent on written texts, theology in the Deaf Community is largely non-written. This book presents and examines some of that theology from the Deaf Community and argues that written texts are not necessary for creative theological debate, a deep spirituality or for ideas about God to develop.

Wayne Morris is Senior Lecturer in Theology at the University of Chester. He was previously National Coordinator of Church Action on Disability and has worked alongside Deaf people in the churches and education in the UK for 10 years. He is co-author (with Roy McCloughry) of Making a World of Difference: Christian Reflections on Disability (2002)