The risen Christ retained in his body the “mark of the nails”, suggesting that we might in our post-resurrection bodies retain what Amos Yong calls the “marks of impairment”. In this paper Maja Whitaker will argue that the “marks of the nails” in John 20:25 are best interpreted as persisting wounds rather than healed scars, and that this has profound implications for shaping what we can expect of eschatological life. The eschatological “marks of impairment” may be more than merely a trace or memory of weakness or disability, but rather the substantial embodiment of weakness and disability.

About the Speaker

Recently appointed as Laidlaw’s new Practical Theologian, Maja is responsible for overseeing Laidlaw’s growing relationships with partner churches, crafting and delivering a formational experience for our undergraduate theology students, supervising postgraduate research, and contributing to the leadership team of the School of Theology. She is based at the Christchurch campus.

Maja is currently awaiting results of a doctoral thesis in theology submitted to the University of Otago. Her research interests include the theology of the body, theological anthropology, disability theology, and eschatology. She is exploring what the Christian tradition can offer to critique and inform modern cultural ideologies about human flourishing and the body. She blogs on the topics of spiritual formation, parenting, and pastoral theology at www.somewhitespace.blog

Maja pastors an Equippers Church in Timaru with her husband Dave, and is mum to her four girls. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, running, reading, and baking.