After naming the distortions that have shaped how disabled and neurodivergent people are seen in the church in Part 1 of this study, we can turn to what Scripture actually says about the Image of God — and the picture is far more expansive, embodied, and hopeful than many of us were taught.
For years, disabled and neurodivergent people have been told—directly or indirectly—that their bodies sit uneasily within the doctrine of the Image of God. At a recent disability conference, I explored why these distortions persist, and why Scripture itself tells a very different story. Below is the first movement of that study.
I’s 7.19 am, I’m on the train, and I’m heading to The Living Well in Nonington, Canterbury. It feels strange to write that sentence as it carries more weight than a simple blog post entry. This is something I have longed for, as I prepare to give a bible study at a disability workshop. I’ve not publicly spoken outside of church in years, yet here I am, reading my notes, rehearsing, and trying to steady my anxiety.
