Episode 50: Is God disabled?

Kimberly talks with self-described queer, disabled, feminist, Rabbi, Julia Watts Belser. Her book, Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole, received the 2025 Grawemeyer Award for Religion from the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the University of Louisville. They talk about grappling with spiritual texts as people with disabilities.

If you are interested in registering for Rabbi Belser’s public lecture, either in person or online, visit givebutter.com/2025Grawemeyer

Thanks to Chris Ankin for use of his song, “Change.”

The book "A Celebration of Family: Stories of Parents with Disabilities." is available from Amazon here.

Be sure to follow the Advocado Press Facebook page

Visit Appalachian Assistive Technology Loan Fund for assistance.

Visit Moving Forward, the Advocado Press blog.

Send comments and questions to [e-mail]

Demand and Disrupt is sponsored by the Advocado Press and the Center For Accessible Living.

You can find the transcript in the show notes below when they become available.

Transcript

Kimberly Parsley Today on Demand and Disrupt, I speak with Rabbi Julia Watts-Belzer, author of Loving Our Own Bones and the 2025 winner of the Graumeier Award for Religion.

Robotic Voice You're listening to Demand and Disrupt, the podcast for information about accessibility, advocacy, and all things disability.

Kimberly Parsley Welcome to Demand and Disrupt, a disability podcast. I'm your host, Kimberly Parsley.

Sam Moore And I'm your co-host, Sam Moore.

Sam Moore How you doing, Kimberly?

Kimberly Parsley I am doing very well. How about yourself, Sam?

Sam Moore I'm doing great. You know, spring is kind of sort of in the air. The temps are going up and down, though. But, you know, it's March Madness here, too. And I know you're such a big basketball fan, Kimberly.

Kimberly Parsley Yes, so much. I don't even know. I don't even know what's going on, so you should probably tell me.

Sam Moore Well, I tell you, we're going to – you're going to watch at least one game before the national title. Between now and the second week of April, you're going to watch at least one game.

Kimberly Parsley I only know that WKU is not in it this year.

Sam Moore The Tops are not in it.

Kimberly Parsley They're not in it. So there's just nothing for me. There's nothing for me.

Sam Moore They're setting their sights on next year.

Kimberly Parsley So I guess all the basketball fans are just in heaven, huh?<