Disability and Neurodiversity: Theology and Practice of Faith Communities
| This is one of three inspiring courses offered in ETF’s Summer Colloquium, scheduled August 18–23, 2025. This international study week includes lectures, various workshops and times for meeting and reflection.
Registration is open until 1 June 2025. |
What does it mean to be human? How we answer that question is influenced by our personal stories, how we are formed theologically, the faith community we may belong to, and the society we live in. Importantly, our perspective is also affected to a large extent by our experiences of (dis)ability and whether we are ‘neurotypical’ or neurodivergent. Once we start to look at the world through the perspectives of disabled or neurodivergent people, the world and church start to look differently. Neurodivergent people find themselves living in a ‘neurotypical’ world, and those with disabilities find themselves living in an able-bodied (or even ableist) world. How can we respond to this reality theologically?
In this course, we aim to learn from disability and neurodivergent perspectives in order to evaluate the ‘cult of normalcy’ that dominates our societies. This perspective-taking is guided by readings from Disability Theology and Autism Theology (or other literature on neurodiversity), foregrounding perspectives from people who self identify as disabled or neurodivergent. We will learn how to engage in a critical theological discourse that enables us to evaluate contemporary church practice and identify where change in both academy and church may be needed.
By DR. LÉON VAN OMMEN (King’s College, University of Aberdeen, UK)
| ETF’s Summer Colloquium in August 2025 features three inspiring courses which intersect theology, church and society. The two other courses are:
● “Theology and Practice of Hospitality: Challenges of Wartime” by Dr. Roman Soloviy (Eastern European Institute of Theology, Lviv, Ukraine) ● “Stories that Victimize Women, Interpreting Challenging Old Testament Narratives” by Dr. Michelle Knight (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, USA) This international study week includes lectures, various workshops and times for meeting and reflection. Our Summer Colloquium is compulsory for ETF Open University students open to interested people with academic qualifications and can serve as additional in-service training for pastors, teachers, and other ministry professionals. |
