Disabled Church

Book Description

In a world where religious communities often expect conformity in worship practices, one congregation challenges everything we think we know about spiritual belonging. Rebecca F. Spurrier takes readers inside Sacred Family Church, where more than half the members live with mental illness diagnoses and arrive from care facilities and independent living arrangements.

Through careful observation and deep reflection, Spurrier reveals how this unique community transforms traditional worship when participants bring their authentic selves to sacred space. Rather than following prescribed patterns, congregants worship in ways that feel genuine to their experiences, creating moments that both honor and expand conventional religious practices.

This thought-provoking exploration asks fundamental questions about spiritual community. What happens when a church embraces difference as its foundation rather than seeking uniformity? How do congregations create genuine space for people whose participation looks different from established norms? When worship becomes truly inclusive, what new possibilities emerge for understanding divine connection?

Spurrier's ethnographic study offers profound insights for anyone interested in authentic spiritual community. Her work illuminates how embracing neurodiversity and mental health differences can deepen rather than diminish collective worship experiences. The result challenges readers to reconsider their assumptions about what makes a congregation whole and what it truly means to worship together.

For those seeking more inclusive approaches to faith and community, this book opens essential conversations about belonging, acceptance, and the transformative power of embracing human difference in sacred spaces.