At The Gates: Disability, Justice and the Churches

by Naomi Lawson-Jacobs, Emily Richardson

Based on extensive research, Naomi Lawson Jacobs and Emily Richardson have collected prophetic and transformative narratives of experience, shared directly by disabled people who have rarely been enabled to speak in Christian books about disability. By centring disabled Christians’ own stories, this book calls for churches to move from a care-based approach to disability, to one that is focused on justice, equality, and access to churches for disabled Christians.

240 pages, Paperback

Published November 30, 2022

Reviews

[Natalie Clark]

I found this really tough to read. It is so on the nose, in the best way, and says so many things the Church needs to hear.

I'm autistic and have struggled for years with mental illness, but I rarely think of myself as disabled. Part of this is struggling to identify with the autistic moniker I've been given, as well as meeting many of the socially-prescribed achievements you'd expect of the average 28-year-old. Reading this book opened a host of hurt feelings I didn't know I had towards my church.

A must-read for all Christians.

[AJW]

Wow! Blown away by this book. As a disabled Christian myself, I recommend this book as THE book to read on the role of disabled people in the church. What’s special is that this is a book written by disabled people.

Usually books on Christianity and disability are written by non-disabled people. Their focus is on either making disabled people like themselves, i.e. being healed and becoming non-disabled, or on doing stuff FOR disabled people. The voices of the disabled themselves are not heard, and the concept that disabled people can be a transformative force for positive change in the church is not considered.

It’s a thought provoking read. I was particularly struck by the observation that Jesus in his post-resurrection body still bore his wounds - he was not healed with a perfect flawless body according to the standards of our society. Some of the disabled storytellers in this book believe that they’ll still have their disability in heaven - what will be healed are the discriminatory attitudes of non-disabled Christians, otherwise known as ableism, which is the belief that disabled people are inferior, deficient, or less than fully human.

This is a comprehensive book covering everything to do with disabled people and the church - from the obvious topic of making church buildings accessible, to virtual online churches and everything inbetween. Everybody should read it. Disabled people will be encouraged to see their lived experiences recognised and validated. Non-disabled people will have their eyes opened and understanding increased. Together we can make the church much more like the body of Christ.

[Niamh]

I read a lot of stuff on disability theology so for me a lot of the content was not new, but at the same time, it is an important book that I would recommend anyone involved in a parish (or equivalent) to read. It brings together the voices of many Christians with a variety of disabilities from a variety of traditions and none, which is completely unique. Their voices are made central rather than left at the gates.

This is why I think people need to read it, to allow it to challenge the way that they do things. This is not easy, particularly, challenging when some churches already struggle with liturgy wars without bringing disability into that. As one contributor points out it needs to be more than "basic access" (i.e. a ramp) but it is more than that. As the book argues the inclusion of disabled people is not an extra, it is essential and a matter of justice.

[Dani]

I cannot believe one of my favorite books of the year was a book about disability and accessibility in the Anglican church, but it really was. I learned so much about what accessibility actually looks like and how important it is for churches to make room for all people. It definitely radicalized me to it's cause.