Toward a Theology of Disability - with Alex Wolf
Today, Mike and Tim talk with Alex Wolf, director and content developer at Hope Heals, about her journey from pastor’s kid and missionary to one of the key theological voices shaping Hope Heals’ work. The conversation centers on how proximity to disability reorients faith, why disability is not a niche category but a universal human story, and what the church misses when it treats accessibility as a program instead of a posture.
How does something like Hope Heals embody a kind of disruption to normal church life? How does belonging differ from hospitality, and how does co-creation matter more than merely making room for people?
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
07:30 - Introducing Alex Wolf and her connection to Hope Heals
12:00 - Growing up in a pastor’s home and early faith formation
13:00 - Missionary work overseas and the questions that started to surface
14:00 - Family, trusted guides, and the freedom to question
15:35 - Intellectual and existential wrestling in her 20s
17:33 - How Alex first said yes to Hope Heals
20:46 - Space to doubt inside a faith-centered parachurch organization
20:46 - Space to doubt inside a faith-centered parachurch organization
23:00 - Proximity to disability and a new understanding of the Beatitudes
25:00 - Why Alex began writing theology of disability
31:36 - Invisible wheelchairs and the many forms of hidden limitation
39:00 - Why disability should not be treated as a program
49:35 - Alex names the lack of ego as the secret ingredient at Hope Heals
54:00 - Closing gratitude and final remarks
Praxis Thesis: Valuing People With Disabilities as a Gift to Society
Hope Heals on Instagram: @hopeheals
The GoodHard Story Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.
We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.
Our Merch Store! Etsy
Learn more about the Voxology Podcast
Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify
Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon
The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio
Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook
Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre
Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford
Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy