{"product_id":"autism-and-worship-a-liturgical-theology-paperback","title":"Autism and Worship: A Liturgical Theology - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eArmand Léon Van Van Ommen\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn churches today, those on the autism spectrum are often at best overlooked by neurotypical church members or at worst infantilized. Viewed as \"other,\" autistic people who feel excluded from the church community abound, and statistics show that they are less likely to attend church than others. Other autistic people do participate in worship but testify to being dismissed when asking for \"reasonable accommodations,\" and they are routinely given fewer formal roles in the liturgy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eAutism and Worship\u003c\/i\u003e, Armand Léon van Ommen offers an in-depth analysis of the absence and ignoring of, but also the presence of, autistic people in worship. Van Ommen recounts the experiences of autistic people and considers how those experiences might reframe liturgical theology and the worship practices of the church. He identifies the \"cult of normalcy\" as the root of the marginalization of autistic people. Normalcy is boundary keeping, the protective set of dynamics that determines who belongs to the community and who is excluded. The answer to absence and ignoring is found in presence and availability, rooted in kenosis. Through the act of making himself available to humankind by becoming human, Christ participated in humanity. Believers are invited to participate in the life and prayer of Christ in turn and accordingly make themselves available to one another. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe new identity in Christ redefines what is deemed normal and redefines who is \"in\" or \"out.\" Van Ommen argues that this redefinition results from a kenotic liturgical theology of availability. He illustrates this fresh vision by analyzing the Chapel of Christ Our Hope, a church in Singapore that is centered on autism and provides a paradigm for a renewal of Christian worship. \u003ci\u003eAutism and Worship\u003c\/i\u003e contributes to liturgical theology and the emerging field of autism theology as well as the practices of worshiping communities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArmand Léon van Ommen is Senior Lecturer in Practical Theology and Co-Director of the Centre for Autism and Theology at the University of Aberdeen. He is co-editor of \u003ci\u003eDisciples and Friends: Investigations in Disability, Dementia, and Mental Health\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 263\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.6 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 01, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52758973579571,"sku":"9781481319904","price":73.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/BOyTmNoJMy9781481319904.webp?v=1764446239","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/en-ca\/products\/autism-and-worship-a-liturgical-theology-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}