Revelations of Divine Care

Melody V. Escobar richly describes the lives of her research partners--mothers, like herself, of children with challenging developmental conditions--who manage their children's care, from dawn to dusk, seeking out services and educational resources, including equine therapy, for the children they love. Melody explores the mothers' all-encompassing work of parental love in relation to Julian of Norwich's Revelations of 'Our Motherhood in Christ.' Learned and thought-provoking, this book recognizes that 'all is not well' for mothers performing work of love in a society that fails to provide for the needs of disabled children and still expects mothers to do it all.

~Mary Clark Moschella, Roger J. Squire Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Yale University

Melody V. Escobar, a practical theologian, is mother and caregiver of Raffy, a child with disabilities. Her study not only describes her experience of equine-assisted therapy for her son at an equine center but also offers narratives by other mothers in similar situations. The book is an exploration of self-sacrifice and challenging caregiving by the mothers--using the striking image of ‘love on steroids’. While Melody’s book is deeply personal and moving, it also draws upon the powerful spiritual writings of the famous medieval woman mystic, Julian of Norwich, and her vision of God as loving Mother.

~Philip Sheldrake, FRSA, FRHistS, Professor of Christian Spirituality and Director of the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Spirituality, Oblate School of Theology

Revelations of Divine Care is a major contribution to Christian spirituality studies. In it, Melody Escobar unites disability studies, ecotherapy, and historical theology to reconceive brilliantly the meanings of pastoral ministry, motherwork, and how an equine center might function as a sacred site of transformative encounter. Melody's generous attention to her research partners' stories makes this book a superb example of pastoral ethnography for other scholars; further, her pointed questions transform the book from mere academic study to spiritual guidebook, helping the reader discover to what extent their own awareness around and care for disabled people's lives and needs might grow. This is an important book, beautifully rendered.

~Rachel Joy Wheeler, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Theology, University of Portland