Paul, Cochlear Implantation, and Biblical Interpretation: Expanding the Scope of Disability Hermeneutics

Abstract

Recent research on disability and the Bible has made distinctive contributions to the field of biblical studies. Most work in this area focuses on representations of disability in the Bible, biblical language related to disability, or biblical themes that can be used for theologies of disability. This article proposes that scholars broaden the scope of this research by drawing on a disability consciousness to interpret texts that do not ostensibly discuss disability or disability-related themes. As a case study, this essay examines Philippians 3:2–11 in light of contemporary debates about cochlear implantation, and it argues that discourse about cochlear implants can inform debates about the ethno-religious identities of Paul and the Philippians. In so doing, the interpretive exercise supports the larger, hermeneutical thesis that a disability consciousness can yield insights into biblical passages—and related scholarly interests—that do not explicitly concern disability or themes commonly related to disability.