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Rod Hunter, Chuck Foster, and Charles Hackett who served at various times on my original thesis committee and whose input was invaluable to me. I would also like to acknowledge the early support of Michael Downey, one of the first theologians to recognize the unique importance of L’Arche and its witness. I would also like to recognize the enormous gift of my friendship with the late Gordon Harland whose faith in me over the years inspired me to persevere with this work. I am also grateful to Ruth Ragovin, Paul Richardson, Toni Tan, and the editorial staff of Cambria Press for their faith, patience, support, and assistance in bringing this book into being.
As a testament to my own spiritual journey, this work would not have been possible without the support and cooperation of my friends and colleagues in L’Arche. I would like to thank Jean Vanier, George Durner, Maria Biedrawa, and the people of L’Arche Winnipeg as well as L’Arche Trosly who provided a home for me during my research trips to France. I am enormously grateful to all of the men and women who shared with me their stories as long-term assistants and, in so doing, allowed me onto the “holy ground” of their lives. Their interviews not only provided me with most of the material for this study, but these assistants moved me profoundly by their honesty, courage, integrity, and fidelity. For reasons of confidentiality, I cannot thank each of them by name, but that does not diminish the depth of my gratitude. I have been enriched and blessed by the whole process of listening to and reflecting on the stories of these extraordinary persons.
I also wish to thank David Ford, Frances Young, Ronan Sharkey, Katharine Hall, Chris Sadler, and all of the members of the Ecumenical Theologians of L’Arche whose reflections on the theology of L’Arche have been a source of infinite value to me. Their invitation to participate in their work in the 1990s was both an honor and a privilege. Along with them, I would like to acknowledge other friends and conversation partners who have encouraged me and helped me to clarify the anthropological, psychological, and theological dimensions of L’Arche, particularly the late Russ Dybka, Larry Cooley, Curt and Anne Christine Armstrong, Carol Hryniuk-Adamov, Larry Kondra, Norman Giesbrecht,