Powerless in Christ: A Romanian Orthodox Insight into Disability Theology

Abstract

Disability theology has long been an anglophone affair, with most debates taking place around lexical structures and semantic nuances specific to the English language. This paper claims that the Romanian word neputință – loosely translated into English as powerlessness – can make a significant contribution to the field. Drawing on interviews with Romanian Orthodox priests, the article argues that neputință can provide a Christological edge to popular concepts such as vulnerability and limits, while also adding an understanding of aging as a natural process that needs medical and social support, but not cure.