Revelations of divine care - with Melody Escobar

What can we learn about care from the experiences of mothers of children with disabilities? How can the writings of a medieval Christian mystic deepen our understanding of maternal love and care? Can the religious emphasis on kenosis, or self-giving love, be reconciled with a feminist perspective on care? And to what extent does the practice of intimate caregiving lead to a wider concern with equity and social justice?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Melody Escobar. Melody is a postdoctoral research associate at Baylor University, a private Christian University in Waco, Texas, where she is a research scholar for the Baylor Collaborative on Faith and Disability, in the Center for Developmental Disabilities, and where she lectures on religion and disability, eco-justice, and mysticism. Before completing her doctorate in Christian spirituality at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Melody had a career in corporate communications spanning 18 years. She has served as a Catholic lay minister for more than 10 years in various capacities and she has also worked as a chaplain resident. Melody’s research and publications in Christian spirituality and practical theology focus on families who experience disability, innovative models of ministry, and curricula advancing inclusion and belonging in academic and spiritual life.Melody is the author of the book Revelations of Divine Care: Disability, Spirituality, and Mutual Flourishing, which was published in 2024 by Baylor University Press, as part of their Studies in Religion, Theology, and Disability series.We discuss the following topics in this episode: Melody's personal, spiritual and academic journey (03:55) Melody's experience as the mother of a child with a disability (06:00)Equine-assisted therapy for children with disabilities (08:02)The influence of the writings of Julian of Norwich on Melody's thinking (10:25)The horse ring as a sacred space of community and belonging (13:55)The importance of hospitality (17:01)Melody's research with mothers of children with disabilities (19:10)The importance of giving voice to mothers' experiences (25:12)The key themes emerging from Melody's research (27:00)Faith, spirituality, and care (29:20)The contested role of kenotic, or self-giving love, in care (32:25)The need for structural and policy reform to support mothers' caregiving (35:23)The vision of maternal love in Julian of Norwich's writings (37:25)Widening the circle of loving care (40:37)The lessons of Melody's research for churches and faith communities (43:35)Developments in disability theology (47:44)Melody's forthcoming book 'Belonging Under The Bridge' (50:07)Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episodeJulian of NorwichPhilip SheldrakeDorothy DayHenri NouwenMax van ManenDevan StahlLinksEquine-assisted therapyCatholic Worker MovementChurch Under the BridgeFor a transcript of this episode, follow this link to the Careful Thinking Substack