John Swinton (theologian)
John Swinton (born 1957) is a Scottish theologian. He is the Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the School of Divinity, History, and Philosophy, University of Aberdeen. He is founder of the university's Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability. He is an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland and Master of Christ’s College, the university's theological college. Swinton is a major figure in the development of disability theology.
Early life and education
Professor Swinton was born in 1957 in Liverpool. He spent his early years in Coatbridge and Cumbernauld. John attended Seafar Primary school in Cumbernauld . In 1972 he and his family moved to Aberdeen where he attended Summerhill Academy.
He received his nursing education at Foresterhill College in Aberdeen. His first qualification was as a Registered Mental Health nurse. His 2nd qualification was as a Registered Nurse for people with learning disabilities.
In 1990 Swinton began divinity studies at the University of Aberdeen. He received his Bachelor of Divinity degree with first class honours in 1994. He received his PhD from Aberdeen in 1997. While completing his degree he was a lecturer in practical theology at the University of Glasgow.[1] While still a PhD student, Swinton addressed the controversy in Protestant theology of how much participation in the church people with severe mental handicaps should be allowed. His 1997 article, Restoring the Image: Spirituality, Faith, and Cognitive Disability, was described by Amos Yong as: "Rather than asking whether people with intellectual disability are religiously conscious or responsible, he inquires how they become religiously engaged."[2]
Career
In 1997 Swinton returned to Aberdeen as a lecturer in practical theology at the University of Aberdeen. In 2002 he caused a stir in within the Church of Scotland. In an article published in the church's monthly magazine he worried that modern men were being alianated from the church. The current emphasis on love, relationships, and giving within the church was in opposition to the culture of "maleness" in Scotland.[3]
In 2003 Swinton became Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral care.[1] He also serves as an honorary professor of nursing in the Centre for Advanced Studies in Nursing at Aberdeen.[4] In 2004 he founded the university's Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability. The Centre has a dual focus: the relationship between spirituality and health and the theology of disability.[1]
In 2012 Swinton was appointed Master of Christ’s College in Aberdeen by The Church of Scotland.[5] In 2014 he established the Centre for Ministry Studies, a joint project between Christ’s College and the University of Aberdeen. It provides a broad range of education and training for both lay and ordained people.[6]
Selected works
- Swinton, John (1997). "Restoring the Image: Spirituality, Faith, and Cognitive Disability". Journal of Religion and Health 36 (1): 21–27. doi:10.1023/a:1027484714661. ISSN 0022-4197.
- Swinton, John (1997). "Friendship in Community: Creating a Space for Love". Contact: Interdisciplinary Journal of Pastoral Studies (122): 17–22. ISSN 1352-0806. Reprinted in Willows, David; John Swinton, ed. (2000). Spiritual Dimensions of Pastoral Care: Practical Theology in a Multidisciplinary Context. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp. 102–106. ISBN 978-1-85302-892-2. as Chapter 11.
- Dementia: Living in the Memories of God (2012) Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
- Brock, BR. & Swinton, J. (eds) (2012). Disability in the Christian Tradition: A Reader Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
- Living Well and Dying Faithfully: Christian Practices for End-Of-Life Care (2009) (Edited text with Richard Payne) Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
- Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness (2008) (With Stanley Hauerwas and Jean Vanier) IVP
- Raging With Compassion: Pastoral responses to the problem of evil(2007) Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. ISBN 0-8028-2997-X
- Theology, Disability and the New Genetics: Why Science Needs the Church (2007) (Edited text with Dr. Brian Brock) London: T&T Clarke.
- Practical Theology and Qualitative Research (2006) London: SCM Press (With Dr. Harriet Mowat) ISBN 0-334-02980-5
- Critical Reflections on Stanley Hauerwas’ Essays on Disability: Disabling society, enabling theology (2005) (Edited text with Stanley Hauerwas) New York: Haworth Press. ISBN 0-7890-2722-4
- Spirituality in Mental Health Care: Rediscovering a “forgotten” dimension (2001) Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London. ISBN 1-85302-804-5
- Resurrecting the Person: Friendship and the care of people with severe mental health problems (2000) Abingdon Press, Nashville. ISBN 0-687-08228-5.
- The Spiritual Dimension of Pastoral Care: Practical theology in a multidisciplinary context (2000) (Edited Text with David Willows) Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London. ISBN 1-85302-892-4.
- From Bedlam to Shalom: Towards a practical theology of human nature. Interpersonal relationships and mental health care (2000) Peter Lang, New York. ISBN 0-8204-4425-1.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Participants - John Swinton". Symposium: Learning from the Disabled. The John Templeton Foundation. March 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ Yong, Amos (2007). Theology and Down Syndrome: Reimagining Disability in Late Modernity. Baylor University Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-1-60258-006-0.
- ↑ "Kirk fears men are losing their religion". The Scotsman. 16 February 2002.
- ↑ "Professor John Swinton". University of Aberdeen. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
- ↑ "Chapel service to introduce John Swinton as new Master of Christ’s College" (Press release). The University of Aberdeen. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ↑ "Centre for Ministry Studies". The University of Aberdeen. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
Further reading
- Swinton, John (February 2013). Scottish theologian and former mental health chaplain John Swinton talks about disability and dementia — and why churches have got this 'inclusion' thing all wrong. The United Church Observer. Interview with Chelsea Temple Jones.
- Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore (23 September 2011). The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 480–. ISBN 978-1-4443-4572-8.
- Yong, Amos (2007). Theology and Down Syndrome: Reimagining Disability in Late Modernity. Baylor University Press. pp. 237–. ISBN 978-1-60258-006-0.