Dr Wayne Morris

Deputy Head of Department. Senior Lecturer in Contextual and Practical Theology

I am particularly interested in the interaction between context and culture, social and ecclesial practices and the theological voices of marginalized persons. My aim is to construct theologies that seek to transform context, practices and theological ideas.

Telephone	01244 511066
Email	w.morris@chester.ac.uk

Qualifications

BA (Hons), PhD, PGCertHE, FHEA

Overview

I joined the department of theology and religious studies in September 2003 and since September 2010 I have been Deputy Head of Department. I very much enjoy combining working with students at all levels of study and sharing in the management of our excellent department at Chester. I am also committed to research and publication in areas that may contribute to shaping new thinking and practice in my specific research areas (see below). Prior to coming to Chester I held various teaching roles at Birmingham University and I worked for four years as the national co-ordinator of Church Action on Disability.

Teaching

I currently teach modules in:

Christianity
Contextual and Practical Theology
Tools for Theological Reflection

I lead the MA in Practical and Contextual Theology and welcome enquiries from potential students wishing to pursue a Master’s programme in any aspect of these areas. I also contribute to, and lead modules on, the Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology (DProf).

Research

My research interests are broadly located within contextual and practical theology with a particular focus on:

Disability theologies
Deaf theologies
Theologies of salvation
Theologies for a multi-faith world.

PhD and DProf Supervision

I am associate programme leader on the Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology (DProf) and am involved in the supervision of both DProf and PhD students. I welcome enquiries for research at doctoral level in any of my research areas listed above or from students wishing to explore other areas within contextual and practical theologies more broadly.

I have supervised two PhDs to successful completion on:

Cross-cultural Hermeneutics of Lamentations 1-5 (June 2011)
Contextual Approaches to Mission in the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (August 2011)

I am currently the principal supervisor to students working in the following areas:

History of the Anglican Retreat Movement (1858-2008)
History of the Pentecostal Mission Union (1908-1925)
Mission Practices of New Religious Communities

There are a number of projects to which I also contribute in a supervisory capacity:

Spirituality and the care of people with dementia
Teaching Practical Theology in Higher Education
Feminist Eschatology
Fresh Expressions of Church
Adult Theological Education
Perspectives on Preaching
Pastoral care and Dying

Non-Christian Men’s Perspectives on the Bible

Published work

Books:

Theology without Words: Theology in the Deaf Community (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008).
With Roy McCloughry, Making a World of Difference: Christian Reflections on Disability (London: SPCK, 2002).

Edited Collections:

Hannah Bacon and Wayne Morris with Steve Knowles, Transforming Exclusion: Engaging Faith Perspectives (London: T&T Clark, 2011).

Chapters in Books:

‘Response to David Clough’ In Hannah Bacon and Wayne Morris with Steve Knowles (Eds.), Transforming Exclusion: Engaging Faith Perspectives. (Forthcoming, T&T Clark, 2011) pp.94-98.
‘Transforming Tyrannies: Disability and Christian Theologies of Salvation’ In Hannah Bacon and Wayne Morris with Steve Knowles (Eds.), Transforming Exclusion: Engaging Faith Perspectives. (Forthcoming, T&T Clark, 2011) pp. 121-134.
‘Does the Church Need the Bible? Reflecting on the Experiences of Disabled People’. In Bates, D.J.; Durka, G and Schweitzer, F.L. (eds.). Education, Religion and Society: Essays in Honour of John M. Hull. (London: Routledge, 2006) pp.162-172.
‘Deaf People and the Bible’ In London School of Theology, Deaf Perspectives: Challenging Dominant Christian Thought. (London: London School of Theology, 2003) pp.9-13.

Articles:

‘Church as Sign and Alternative: Disabled People in the Churches’. Journal of Religion, Disability & Health, 14.1 (2010) pp.47-59.
‘Learning, Teaching and Assessment with Deaf Students’, Discourse: Learning and Teaching in Philosophy and Religious Studies, 6.1 (2006) pp.145-173.
‘Disability Included! A Model for Church Communities’, Viewpoints 8 (2001), pp. 7-8.
‘Interview: Professor Frances Young’, In All People 88, (2001), pp.5-8.
‘Interview: Professor John Hull’, In All People 85, (2000), pp.6-8.
‘A Question of Language: the Problem of Deafness or Theology?’, British Journal of Theological Education, 10.2 (1999), pp. 70-79.

Contributions to Church Reports and Publications:

In 2008, I contributed to a working group preparing resources to support churches in including people with learning disabilities.

Member of the Working Group writing: World Council of Churches. Just and Inclusive Communities - Report of the la Paz theological consultation. (Geneva: WCC, 2007).

Part of the original consultation in Geneva 2001 leading towards, World Council of Churches. A Church of All and for All - An interim statement. (Geneva: WCC, 2003).

From 1999-2003 editor of All People, quarterly magazine of Church Action on Disability.

Public Lectures / Invited Papers / Conference Presentations:

'A Question of Language: the Problem of Deafness or Theology?' Pastoral Theology Conference, University of Birmingham, October 1999.
‘Making Community - What People with Disability Can Offer’. Truro Cathedral, March 2008.
‘Becoming God: Practising Theosis in a Multi-Faith World’. Presented at Society for the Study of Theology Conference, Amersfoort, Netherlands, April 2009.
‘Disability, salvation and universalism’. Presented at University of Chester Symposium on Theology, Religion and Exclusion at St. Deiniol’s Library, October 17^th, 2009.
‘Disability and the challenge of a Universal Theology of Salvation’. Liverpool Hope Research Seminars in Pastoral Theology, March 4^th 2010.
‘Disability and Tyranny of Salvation’. Cumbria Theological Society, 14^th October 2010.
‘Beyond the Written Text: Revelation in the Deaf Community’. American Academy of Religion, 30^th October – 1^st November 2010.

Book Reviews:

I have contributed a number of Book Reviews to journals including Disability and Society, Practical Theology, Crucible, Studies in Christian Ethics, Religious Studies Review, and Journal of Religion Disability and Health.

Reviews of my published work:

Transforming Exclusion (Published 2011)

‘Substantive reflection informed by the latest scholarship, critical analyses and counter questions from dialogue partners and those usually on the margins, provocative visions for a more just and redemptive ecclesial praxis – what more could readers of theological books ask for? A veritable theological feast indeed!’ Professor Amos Yong, Regent University School of Divinity, Virginia Beach, VA, USA.

‘"Inclusion" has become a fashionable word and a widely adopted goal in both Church and society. These essays, however, avoid the clichés and generalizations that can easily surround the subject, and instead look carefully at specific varieties of exclusion, recognized and unrecognized, and the very diverse challenges they present to the integrity of religious communities that claim to be welcoming or affirming. They combine personal and empirical observation with sophisticated tools of philosophical and theological analysis in a highly distinctive way. This is an unusual and very valuable collection.' The Most Revd and Rt Hon. Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury,

Theology without Words (Published 2008)

‘Morris is to be commended for showing how rigorous ethnography can inform constructive theological research. This book is practical theology at its finest'.
Aaron Klink, in Religious Studies Review, (Vol. 35/1), March 2009

‘Theology without Words is not only an original contribution to Disability Studies, but also offers a fascinating insight into a silent world where meaning and faith are alive and well without speech'.
John M. Hull, Emeritus Professor of Religious Education, University of Birmingham and Honorary Professor of Practical Theology, Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education, UK

‘The theology of disability needs thinkers who are careful and rigorous, yet thoughtful and creative. Wayne Morris is all of these things. In this challenging and provocative book Morris not only opens our eyes to new perspectives on a practical theology of deafness, he also provides deep methodological and practical insights into how the field of disability can and should be researched and precisely why it might be important that this is done well. This is an important book'.
John Swinton, Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care, King's College, University of Aberdeen, UK

Making a World of Difference (Published 2002):

‘This book is a marvellous entrée for Christians into the topic of disability... Indeed, the final product amounts to the most well rounded theological picture of disability that this reader is aware of'. Thomas Reynolds, Journal of Religion, Disability and Health (vol. 11/3)