Nomatter Sande

This book engages with Christian church traditions and disability issues in Africa, focusing on Zimbabwe in particular. It critically reflects on how the church has not done much to intentionally minister ‘to and with’ persons with disabilities. In the context of this volume, ‘ministering to’ is concerned with creating worshipping space for persons with disabilities; while ‘ministering with’ is connecting and identifying with persons with disabilities to meet their needs from the material life of the church. The author considers a stewardship model of disability as an appropriate ministerial response to transform lives in poverty-stricken postcolonial contexts. The argument put forth is that the church is a living organism endowed with spiritual and material resources, and that these resources should be appropriated to marginalised stakeholders.

This book is empirically grounded on Zimbabwe and looks at hate speech as a bad omen for any society, family, nation and organisation. Hate speech divides and kills any peace, unity, tolerance, inclusivity, philosophy, race and geographical area, sacred places of worship, freedoms, identities, culture, unity and development in any space. It is not a good recipe for both animate and inanimate. It is never a solution to be applied in any geographical location. Hate speech, conflict and violence usually go together. The book clearly shows that, hate speech must never be tolerated in any religion, space (both private and public spaces), scriptures, society and nation. It is poisonous and manifests in different forms such as language (verbal or electronic), discriminations, beliefs, practices, laws, censorship, graffiti and even physical assault.

This book engages with Christian church traditions and disability issues in Africa, focusing on Zimbabwe in particular. It critically reflects on how the church has not done much to intentionally minister ‘to and with’ persons with disabilities. In the context of this volume, ‘ministering to’ is concerned with creating worshipping space for persons with disabilities; while ‘ministering with’ is connecting and identifying with persons with disabilities to meet their needs from the material life of the church. The author considers a stewardship model of disability as an appropriate ministerial response to transform lives in poverty-stricken postcolonial contexts. The argument put forth is that the church is a living organism endowed with spiritual and material resources, and that these resources should be appropriated to marginalised stakeholders.