SMCE3013 F25 Christianity and Judaism on Disabilities

• Delivery: Online
• Duration: 6 weeks
• Day of the week: Tuesdays
• Dates: Tuesday October 21 – Tuesday November 25
• Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
• Location: Online via Zoom
• Cost: $150
• Level of Interfaith Dialogue (for learners taking the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue): Dialogue of Theological Exchange

Course Overview

This course examines how Jewish and Christian theologies address disability, exploring themes such as ritual exclusion, mental health, and community belonging. Students will analyze historical and legal models that shape theological views on disability, critique contemporary theological challenges, and consider ethical responses. Through critical engagement with texts and traditions, students will develop personal theological reflections on ability, identity, and inclusion.

SMCE3013 is an elective course within the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue. Learners who wish to complete this program can learn more on our website. Enrolment in this course is open to all learners.

Method of Teaching

This course employs a mix of lectures, textual analysis, and discussions, encouraging critical engagement with Jewish and Christian theological perspectives on disability. Students will explore historical and modern frameworks through readings, case studies, and reflective exercises, fostering inclusive and analytical theological thinking.

Learning Outcomes  

In this course, learners will:

Identify key themes in Jewish and Christian disability studies.

Analyze the impact of theological perspectives on disability.

Compare Jewish and Christian approaches to disability.

Critically evaluate theological frameworks with sensitivity and depth.

About the Instructor

Emma CW Ceruti is a PhD candidate in Theological Studies at Emmanuel College in the University of Toronto, where her research explores how disabled experiences challenge dominant theological ideas and offer transformative insights into suffering, spirituality, and justice. She holds an MA in Systematic Theology from Union Theological Seminary in New York, where her thesis on intellectual disability and the imago Dei was mentored by Black liberation theologian James Cone. Emma brings over a decade of experience in disability theology, interfaith engagement, and theological education, including work with the Canadian Council of Churches, the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, and the Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre. She previously served as an Interfaith Scholar at DePaul University and has facilitated ecumenical and interreligious dialogue across North America and Northern Ireland. Her areas of expertise include disability theology, liberation theology, and interreligious ethics. As an educator, Emma invites students into spaces of relational learning and critical reflection, engaging both sacred texts and lived experience to explore questions of embodiment, exclusion, and belonging.

Questions?  

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