Hans S. Reinders: Interviewed.

The author of The Second Calling, which aims to prompt readers to think more deeply about the relationship between the 'able' and 'less able' in society, discusses his new novel ...

Would you tell us a little about your background and introduce your work?

In the last decade I have achieved recognition as one of the international leaders in theology and disability as an emerging field of academic study. Over the years I have developed an approach to ethics that focuses primarily on human relationships as the essence of quality of life for people in general, and for people with disabilities in particular. My particular interest has been the lives of persons with intellectual disabilities who in many ways still are among the most vulnerable members of society. Over the years the life and work of Jean Vanier and the community of L‘Arche has been a great source of inspiration for my work.

The Second Calling is your first novel for DLT – can you set the scene and describe it?

The novel takes us to the beautiful Spanish countryside near Seville, where a young American named Jonathan has come to ‘find his own way’ at The House of Bethany, a small community of mentally and physically disabled people living together with carers and supporters. Here he meets a host of colourful characters, all ‘battered souls’ in different ways: Lucie, a ‘flittering bird’, without speech and with only very limited understanding; Fernando, a young man whose abandonment by his father left him without speech; Joaquin, a blind boy who was found living alone in the streets of Seville; the physically disfigured but resolutely proud Alfredo; the eager-to-please wheelchair-bound Sofia; gentle, lumbering Alonso; and the community’s founder Ramón, whose understanding of what the House of Bethany really means only becomes apparent when he is forced to re-evaluate his own life.  

Together, Jonathan and the members of the community work alongside each other and discover that they actually have much in common, including the pressure of other people’s expectations and the desire to prove themselves. As the residents continue their search for understanding, acceptance, dignity and purpose, relationships are built amidst the tears and tensions of daily life. But the stream of volunteers from around the world includes someone who will test The House of Bethany to its limits, and threaten its very core.  

What do you think makes The Second Calling unique? And what do you hope readers will get from it?

The novel deals with a topic that often remains hidden from the public spotlight, which is how people with and without disabilities share their lives together in a community of peace.

The story reads like a psychological thriller where people going through a crisis gradually arrive at a transformation that enables them to celebrate life.  

It has short chapters, inspired by the way the 19^th century British novelists used to publish their novels chapter by chapter in weekly magazines.

It’s a fun read. Representing a wide range of age difference people who read the story finished it within a week. Once it captures you, you want to know the next chapter. A page turner.

As a beautifully-written novel The Second Calling will inspire and entertain the reader, while prompting us gently to think more deeply about how we view others.

What or indeed who was the inspiration behind The Second Calling?

The life and work of Jean Vanier and the community of L’Arche that he founded in 1964, for which Vanier was awarded the Templeton Prize (in 2015) after fifty years of leading its ministry, and bringing its message to the world. The Second Calling was written after Jean invited me to write a book that would introduce the work of L’Arche to a wider audience. It turned out to be a novel that tells Vanier’s journey.

Lastly, as well as those with a specific interest in the work of Jean Vanier and in L’Arche, who else might The Second Calling appeal to?

The book is in part intended for a younger audience interested in finding ways to live a meaningful life amidst the pressures of fast careers and consumerist lifestyles.

People interested in the life of a spiritual community may also be inspired by it.

Readers engaged in the caring professions will find themselves challenged by its vision.

The book might even prove an excellent Christmas gift for service organisations in the care sector!

Hans S. Reinders is Professor of Ethics and Disability at the Free University of Amsterdam and is internationally known for this work on theology and disability. The Second Calling is available now in paperback, priced £9.99.