Mike Delgado

In this week’s podcast, we learn from Dr. Amy Kenny about her important and brilliant new book entitled “My Body is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church.”

It’s a book that describes her experiences as a disabled Christian in the church – and the unintentional ableism occurring regularly in religious communities. She also provides guidance on how we all can create more inclusive spiritual homes where disabled people fully belong and thrive in all aspects of church ministry.

You can get this episode on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or YouTube. You can also listen or download the full podcast episode here.

In the episode, Dr. Amy Kenny talks with us about:

• On writing about disability justice in the church
• Why this book is a scream for disability justice
• Being aware of our language when discussing our disabled community
• The difference between identity-first vs person-first language
• How disabled people are dismissed and silenced at church
• Types of ableist language used at church
• What it means to be made in the image of God (even in our disabilities)
• How our disabled bodies become a theological problem for some believers
• Why church leaders fought against the Americans with Disability Act
• Ways that churches can improve accessibility for disabled people
• Encouragement for disabled people who have been dismissed at church
• Advice for church members who want to love and support disabled people
• Sneaky ways ableism shows up at church
• Understanding our disabled God
• Ways to take a disability lens when reading scripture

Amy Kenny (PhD, University of Sussex) is a disabled scholar and a Shakespeare lecturer whose research focuses on medical and bodily themes in literature. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, The Mighty, The Audacity, and Sojourners. Follow her on Twitter.

What can we do to make our churches more inclusive for our disabled and neurodiverse communities?

Dr. Lamar Hardwick’s fantastic book “Disability And The Church: A Vision For Diversity And Inclusion” provides insights into the life of a pastor with autism and ways that churches can begin removing barriers for people on the autism spectrum or those with any other disability.

Dr. Hardwick reminds us that “people with disabilities live in a world that is not built for them. And the vast majority of churches are not built with disabled bodies in mind.”

His book provides insights into many of the barriers that churches have unintentionally created for people with disabilities (especially invisible disabilities) — and steps that churches need to take to build a more empathetic church culture.

Dr. Hardwick says “affirmation of people with disabilities in the church begins with making the type of accommodations necessary for them to be able to pursue their God-given calling (172). And his book is chockfull of practical insights for ministry leaders who want to make their spiritual homes more inclusive for disabled people (and how to get funding for disability ministries).

Dr. Hardwick doesn’t just provide a strategies for church leaders on ways to build more inclusive spiritual homes, he also provides us with a view of church and spirituality through the eyes of disability. He writes about the importance of disability theology and reminds us on how the crucifixion of Jesus reveals a God who is disabled (and what the permanent scars after the resurrection signifies).

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