Chronic illness and chronic disability are human conditions that millions of people experience, but until recently were seldom prioritized in religious, theological, or philosophical literatures regarding how to live with an able yet vulnerable body in a mutually conditioned world. Our goal in this essay is to explore how religious conceptions of suffering and healing might inform the way we think about what it means to live with chronic illness and disability. Through the use of personal narrative, we situate our discussion within the specific religious traditions of Buddhism and Christianity. We explore Buddhist and Christian teachings on the nature of suffering and healing and demonstrate how these teachings are sometimes misrepresented by wellmeaning practitioners in both traditions. We then engage in comparative religious analysis as we offer alternative ways of thinking about, responding to, and living with chronic illness or disability. Buddhism and Christianity have many differences, but both offer rich spiritual resources for providing healing and renewal for those who struggle with chronically disabling conditions.
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© 2011 Darla Schumm and Michael Stoltzfus
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Schumm, D., Stoltzfus, M. (2011). Chronic Illness and Disability: Narratives of Suffering and Healing in Buddhism and Christianity. In: Schumm, D., Stoltzfus, M. (eds) Disability and Religious Diversity. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230339484_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230339484_8
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