12/15/14

Economy of exchange: excerpts from Reynolds, T. E.

(2008). Vulnerable communion: A theology of disability and
hospitality.
Self-worth is not automatic, it comes through validation
through relationships
Starts with our bodies
From early in our youth we learn what it means to be
acknowledged as of worth, as having something to offer, as
being somebody-a body with value. Our appearance,
actions, and attitudes acquire legitimacy insofar as they
purchase recognition, living up to the performance
expectations and supporting the conventions and values of a
social context (Reynolds, 2008, p. 56).

This point is not trivial. Our bodies always negotiate social

space by participating in an exchange of goods, whether going
to school, playing on a sports team, working in retail, raising
children, or meeting for coffee with friends. In every situation,
even in the virtual world of cyberspace, we are present to
others. That is, we portray or offer something that is
recognized and received (or not) as of significance (Reynolds,
2008, p. 57).
3

Think of how the young girl or boy becomes accepted by

classmates. All kinds of cultural productions are involved, such
as beauty, athleticism, and intelligence. And each of these is
inscribed with different values according to specific social role
expectations" (Reynolds, 2008, p. 58).
What if our world look like if we replaced an economy of
exchange with an economy of grace?