The Bible, Autism and Other Profound Developmental Conditions

Regulating Hermeneutics

Bibliographic Data

ID22112414
AuthorsGrant Macaskill (0000-0002-4131-6429, University of Aberdeen, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume26
Issue4
Pages414-438
Publication date2022-10-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Disability & Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2331-2521 • E-ISSN: 2331-253X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/23312521.2021.1881024
OpenAlexW3127296312
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited11

Almost every church or Christian community is affected by the presence of autism, as it is now understood. Christians who consider the Bible to be the normative guide for matters of thought and practice turn to this body of Scripture as they seek to deal Christianly with this recently-labelled reality. Because the condition of autism was not known as such in the ancient world, the attempt to “think biblically” about it cannot be reduced to the exegesis of texts that obviously describe it, and this quickly exposes the limitations of the exegetical methodologies practiced within the discipline of Biblical Studies, even by faithful scholars and pastors. Christians may develop well-intentioned and creative attempts to apply biblical teaching to autism, but if these are not regulated by good interpretative and theological principles, such accounts can be inappropriate and pastorally destructive. Autism, moreover, does not stand alone, but exemplifies a range of developmental conditions not known as such in the ancient world, particularly those involving cognitive development

Autism · Church Fathers · Developmental psychology · Epistemology · Exegesis · Hermeneutics · Normative · Sociology · Theology · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research · Contemporary Christian Leadership and Education · Development, Ethics, and Society · Philosophy · Psychology

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