And They Recognized Him

The motivating concern of this chapter is the relationship between disability and the recognizability of the resurrected body, and how that relationship might relate to the life to come. I will begin my argument by briefly canvassing Wright’s epistemology of love, drawing primarily on his comments in History and Eschatology . I will argue that this epistemology provides the foundation for prioritizing recognition of selves and others, and thus a foundation for thinking that our bodies are important ways in which we are known to others and to ourselves; even, perhaps more importantly, our bodies are part of our second-personal relationships with God Godself. I will then explore how some of the Gospel accounts of Jesus immediately following the resurrection demonstrate the importance of his body as a means of recognition and participation in communal life with him. I will then defend my view against the claim that disability is not necessary for such knowing in this life or the next (in other words, that we could know everyone as the same person with or without changes to their disabilities). Finally, I will suggest that thinking about disability in terms of next-worldly recognition opens space for more inclusive communities.