Armand Léon Van Ommen
Biographic Data
| ID | 4586403 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Armand Léon Van Ommen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Armand Léon |
| FAMILY NAME | Van Ommen |
| SIGNATURE | VAN OMMEN A L |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Aberdeen |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6444-1647 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 5 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
A sensory account of worship and liturgy
The senses are the means by which people encounter, experience and know the world, including worship spaces. Whilst the embodied aspect of worship is acknowledged in the literature, a substantial account of the sensory aspect of worship and liturgy is largely missing. In this article, the authors analyse five focus groups in five different types of churches (Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican (evangelical), Anglican (Taizé-style), and Evang…
What Does Empathy and Understanding Look Like Across Communication Divides
In qualitative research, researchers and participants must understand each other. In hermeneutics, empathy is typically presented as the road to that understanding. In this article, we ask what empathy is and how empathy can contribute to the knowledge needed for practical theology. We also consider empathy between people who communicate in very different ways, such as when a non-speaking autistic person communicates with a speaking non-autistic …
Autistic and Non-Autistic Experience of the Sensory Aspects of the Church Service
Sensory differences in autism can impact many areas of life, including engagement in church. Fewer autistic people attend church than non-autistic people, with qualitative studies finding that the sensory experience is one reason for this. To date, no quantitative studies have investigated the impact of sensory aspects of the church service on autistic people. In this study, 299 participants from a range of denominations (autistic = 82; self-diag…
Dyslexia and Reading the Bible
Personal Bible reading is considered to be highly important in many Christian communities. This can pose significant challenges for Dyslexic Christians who often struggle to read. This article explores the under-researched topic of dyslexia and the Bible through the analysis of interviews with 15 dyslexic Christians. We consider the difficulties faced by dyslexic Christians, the unique ways in which they engage with the Bible, and the need for ch…
United by Neurodiversity
This article contributes to the discussion of neurodiversity and theological education by presenting a self-reflection by a group of researchers affiliated with the Centre for Autism and Theology at the University of Aberdeen.Literature on postgraduates' experiences is missing from the current discussion on neurodiversity in higher education.This article offers first-hand accounts as a start to address this gap in the literature.Through the self-…
Autism Theology
This multi-authored book review explores the current state of the field of Autism Theology through a discussion of four recent publications. A concluding section reflects on several key themes in the individual reviews, drawing particular attention to: Autism Theology's focus on the ideas and practices which enable autistic people’s thriving; the importance of the inclusion of different voices in the conversation (including those who are non- or …
Disability theology
Reframing Liturgical Theology Through the Lens of Autism
The way autistic people experience worship services is typically different from the majority, non-autistic church population. These autistic ways of experiencing worship, however, are mostly disregarded in practical and in liturgical theology. This leads not only to exclusion of autistic people from the worshiping congregation, but both the church and liturgical scholarship miss out on the opportunity to enrich its worship practices and theology …
Re-imagining church through autism
Theological reflection on autism is a fairly recent development, although several practical resources for churches seeking to be inclusive of autistic people have been published since 2011. Even so, the emerging discussion lacks concrete examples and analyses of churches that practice inclusion and belonging. This article fills this gap by describing and analysing a church in Singapore, the Chapel of Christ our Hope, where autistic people are cen…
JDR Special Issue Joy and Disability
Peer reviewed
Taboo and Stigma in Praying for Mental Health
Most churches intercede every Sunday in their public worship for the needs of the world and for their fellow members. However, it seems that some topics are consistently left out from the prayers, such as prayers for mental health. This article addresses the question whether some topics are taboo, by investigating what churches pray for or not. Empirical research in this area is largely absent. Through the gathering and analysis of prayers, and i…
The naked preacher
This volume in the SCM Research series is not a homiletical work in any traditional sense of the word. Boyd has a particular interest: what happens with the preacher in the interaction between the
Worship, Truth, and Reconciliation
Reconciliation is at the heart of the Christian faith. As Colin Gunton writes “‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself’ (2 Cor. 5:19) is one of the possible candidates for a single sent
The Bible and disability
The Bible and Disability: A Commentary is a fascinating study of the Bible from a disability perspective. Unique in its comprehensiveness, in 12 chapters the volume offers a commentary on each book
Emerging ritual in secular societies
With these two books, Gordon-Lennox gives new impetus to the art of secular ritual, especially to the practical aspect of it. She claims that in the past 40 years, despite the important first colle
Liturgy and ethics
"Liturgy and ethics: new contributions from reformed perspectives." Practical Theology, 11(5), pp. 493–494
Christian Practical Wisdom
Worship in the Network Culture
The Bible and disability
The Bible and Disability: A Commentary is a fascinating study of the Bible from a disability perspective. Unique in its comprehensiveness, in 12 chapters the volume offers a commentary on each book
Worship in the Network Culture
Christian Practical Wisdom
Emerging ritual in secular societies
With these two books, Gordon-Lennox gives new impetus to the art of secular ritual, especially to the practical aspect of it. She claims that in the past 40 years, despite the important first colle
Liturgy and ethics
"Liturgy and ethics: new contributions from reformed perspectives." Practical Theology, 11(5), pp. 493–494
Taboo and Stigma in Praying for Mental Health
Most churches intercede every Sunday in their public worship for the needs of the world and for their fellow members. However, it seems that some topics are consistently left out from the prayers, such as prayers for mental health. This article addresses the question whether some topics are taboo, by investigating what churches pray for or not. Empirical research in this area is largely absent. Through the gathering and analysis of prayers, and i…
The naked preacher
This volume in the SCM Research series is not a homiletical work in any traditional sense of the word. Boyd has a particular interest: what happens with the preacher in the interaction between the
Worship, Truth, and Reconciliation
Reconciliation is at the heart of the Christian faith. As Colin Gunton writes “‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself’ (2 Cor. 5:19) is one of the possible candidates for a single sent
The Bible and disability
The Bible and Disability: A Commentary is a fascinating study of the Bible from a disability perspective. Unique in its comprehensiveness, in 12 chapters the volume offers a commentary on each book
JDR Special Issue Joy and Disability
Peer reviewed
Disability theology
Reframing Liturgical Theology Through the Lens of Autism
The way autistic people experience worship services is typically different from the majority, non-autistic church population. These autistic ways of experiencing worship, however, are mostly disregarded in practical and in liturgical theology. This leads not only to exclusion of autistic people from the worshiping congregation, but both the church and liturgical scholarship miss out on the opportunity to enrich its worship practices and theology …
Re-imagining church through autism
Theological reflection on autism is a fairly recent development, although several practical resources for churches seeking to be inclusive of autistic people have been published since 2011. Even so, the emerging discussion lacks concrete examples and analyses of churches that practice inclusion and belonging. This article fills this gap by describing and analysing a church in Singapore, the Chapel of Christ our Hope, where autistic people are cen…
Dyslexia and Reading the Bible
Personal Bible reading is considered to be highly important in many Christian communities. This can pose significant challenges for Dyslexic Christians who often struggle to read. This article explores the under-researched topic of dyslexia and the Bible through the analysis of interviews with 15 dyslexic Christians. We consider the difficulties faced by dyslexic Christians, the unique ways in which they engage with the Bible, and the need for ch…
United by Neurodiversity
This article contributes to the discussion of neurodiversity and theological education by presenting a self-reflection by a group of researchers affiliated with the Centre for Autism and Theology at the University of Aberdeen.Literature on postgraduates' experiences is missing from the current discussion on neurodiversity in higher education.This article offers first-hand accounts as a start to address this gap in the literature.Through the self-…
Autism Theology
This multi-authored book review explores the current state of the field of Autism Theology through a discussion of four recent publications. A concluding section reflects on several key themes in the individual reviews, drawing particular attention to: Autism Theology's focus on the ideas and practices which enable autistic people’s thriving; the importance of the inclusion of different voices in the conversation (including those who are non- or …
Autistic and Non-Autistic Experience of the Sensory Aspects of the Church Service
Sensory differences in autism can impact many areas of life, including engagement in church. Fewer autistic people attend church than non-autistic people, with qualitative studies finding that the sensory experience is one reason for this. To date, no quantitative studies have investigated the impact of sensory aspects of the church service on autistic people. In this study, 299 participants from a range of denominations (autistic = 82; self-diag…
What Does Empathy and Understanding Look Like Across Communication Divides
In qualitative research, researchers and participants must understand each other. In hermeneutics, empathy is typically presented as the road to that understanding. In this article, we ask what empathy is and how empathy can contribute to the knowledge needed for practical theology. We also consider empathy between people who communicate in very different ways, such as when a non-speaking autistic person communicates with a speaking non-autistic …
A sensory account of worship and liturgy
The senses are the means by which people encounter, experience and know the world, including worship spaces. Whilst the embodied aspect of worship is acknowledged in the literature, a substantial account of the sensory aspect of worship and liturgy is largely missing. In this article, the authors analyse five focus groups in five different types of churches (Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican (evangelical), Anglican (Taizé-style), and Evang…
Philosophy (13 works) · Psychology (11 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Theology (10 works) · Social Psychology (6 works) · Autism (5 works) · Christian Theology and Mission (5 works) · Developmental psychology (5 works) · Worship (5 works) · Epistemology (4 works)