Autistic Christians and their experiences of faith, worship, and community in Evangelical churches in the UK
This study explores what autistic Christians who attend evangelical churches in the UK find both valuable and challenging about how they experience faith, worship, and community within these contexts. The aim was to enable autistic people’s voices to be heard, and to explore the interaction between...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Practical theology
Year: 2025, Volume: 18, Issue: 5, Pages: 406-419 |
| IxTheo Classification: | CB Christian life; spirituality KBF British Isles KDG Free church NCH Medical ethics RB Church office; congregation |
| Further subjects: | B
Autism
B Lived experience B autistic Christians |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This study explores what autistic Christians who attend evangelical churches in the UK find both valuable and challenging about how they experience faith, worship, and community within these contexts. The aim was to enable autistic people’s voices to be heard, and to explore the interaction between autistic experience and evangelical church environments. In-depth semi-structured interviews with seven autistic Christians from evangelical churches were conducted, and the data analysed by thematic analysis. The participants expressed highly positive views of God, and demonstrated that they deeply value their faith and church involvement. However, the significant personal costs for them in participating in these communities were also evident. Although which aspects of church life were difficult or enjoyable varied greatly among the participants, there were common experiences of exhaustion, overwhelm, and a sense of failure. The significance of the presence of autistic people within the body of Christ, and what it means for autistic people to live as disciples of Christ are also considered. |
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| ISSN: | 1756-0748 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Practical theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2025.2553263 |
