Husbands Should Not Break

In October 2010, Shane Clifton had a serious accident that left him a quadriplegic. Husbands Should Not Break is a memoir that describes the challenges of adjusting to life with a disability. Shane is a theologian by trade, so the memoir explores the problem of pain--where is God when we suffer--weighing the sometimes-abstract categories of theology against the harsh realities of his experience. It is a brutally honest account, which does not shy away from the author's doubts and failures, and touches on rarely spoken-about topics, such as the impact of spinal cord injury upon sexuality. But while the narrative deals with sadness, it is a hopeful rather than depressing text, and often surprisingly funny, as it describes the comedic strangeness of struggling with a broken body. The memoir is an invitation into Shane's mind, providing readers with the opportunity to imagine what it might be like to experience the loss that comes with spinal cord injury and, thereafter, to think about life, loss, disability, and the possibility of happiness in the midst of the hardship and fragility of life.

""This no-holds barred account from one of the most brilliant theologian-surfers from Down Under, who woke up from an accident as a quadriplegic, will clear away stereotypes about disability, inspire faith from the perspective of a chair, and challenge sloppy thinking about some of the most intractable conundrums. Don't pick up this book unless you are ready to be moved, infuriated, and interrogated all at the same time.""
--Amos Yong, author of The Bible, Disability, and the Church: A New Vision of the People of God.

""How does someone cope with a life-changing injury? How does a person of faith cope? This is a frank account of one person's struggle, together with his wife and family, to deal with an accident that left him a quadriplegic. At times heartbreaking, at times hilarious, but always honest, Shane Clifton reveals the inner and outer difficulties of life as a 'quad,' and its impact on his vocation as a Pentecostal theologian. Highly recommended.""
--Neil Ormerod, Professor of Theology; Editor, Australian eJournal of Theology

""Shane Clifton is a phenomenally gifted writer . . . [H]is words allow you to feel his genuinely human struggle for life and meaning. I kept reading passages aloud to my wife, sometimes through tears, and other times through laughter. Read it! Shout it from the rooftops! This book will change you.""
--Frank D. Macchia, Associate Director of the Centre for Pentecostal Studies, Bangor University, Wales (UK); Professor of Christian Theology, Vanguard University of Southern California

""Husbands Should Not Break is a must-read for those searching to make sense of their own experiences, for families and friends coming to terms with a new reality, and for that 'army' of rehabilitation and disability professionals and students worldwide who share, in their own way, the journey of post-injury return to everyday life.
--Gwynnyth Llewellyn, Professor of Family and Disability Studies, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney


Shane Clifton is Associate Professor of Theology at Alphacrucis College in Sydney. He is the co-author of Globalisation and the Mission of the Church (2010).