The History of Disability and the Church

The early Christian church was established within the context of the ancient Greek and Roman world.  In these ancient societies many different forms of impairment were identified as being signs or portents of the gods’ displeasure or judgement.  Babies born with signs of physical impairment or weakness were often abandoned and exposed to the ravages of weather and wild animals as it was judged that they were unlikely to grow up to be contributing members of society.  It was though the early church fathers in the 4^th century who first spoke out against this.  Basil the Great (329-379) for example, advocated for the intrinsic value of all human life and argued against the exposure of new-borns.  Basil established what is regarded as the first hospital in the western world.  This was called ‘Inns for guests’ and was at Caesarea.  It was a model of medical and social care, free to all at the point of need, regardless of wealth or social class, that laid the foundations for our contemporary models of health and social care today.

Basil’s example was followed by the many Christian communities that were established across the world over the following thousand years.  Christian communities became places of care and sanctuary for many people whose embodiment or mental capacity meant that living within family or independently within society was not possible.  The church was at the heart of establishing hospitals, alms houses, and more, and, although by no means perfect, Christian philanthropy and compassion drove an agenda of care within medieval society.

Things changed suddenly and drastically in the 16^th century though with Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries.  As Christian communities were forced to disband and their buildings damaged beyond repair, so many of the hospitals and places of care that they contained were destroyed as well.  Many sick and disabled people found themselves on the streets and in fact a group of London citizens wrote to Henry asking for the hospitals to be re-established as they were ‘offended’ by the sight of the “miserable people lying in the street, offending every clean person passing by the way.”

Henry did not have the will to tackle this, and it was not until the first poor law was passed in 1601, during the reign of Elizabeth I, that a new care structure began to emerge.  The 1601 Poor Law enabled parish councils to levy a tax on residents to establish places and programmes of care for the most unfortunate of their fellow citizens.  Over time this led to the establishing of alms houses and asylums designed to give some care to the ‘unfortunate’ poor.  However, this was also linked to the desire to punish those judged to be the ‘idle’ poor.  Many asylums and later workhouses ran harsh and cruel regimes that were focused more on correction than care and many disabled people were subjected to cruel and debilitating treatment.

Importantly from the church’s perspective, the provision of the 1601 Poor Law moved the provision of care from being a religious imperative, as it had been within the context of Christian communities, to become a social obligation.  No longer care given willingly and as an act of compassion and love, but care given because the law dictated it.  Although the Christian faith and the charitable and philanthropic motives of individual’s were at the heart of many initiatives to care for the sick and disabled, the church as an institution lost its moral and ethical credibility at this point and has not really been regarded or respected as a legitimate voice or advocate for the rights of disabled people ever since.

During the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, the Church of England in particular aligned itself with some of the ideas and initiatives associated with Eugenics.  For example, the bishops in the House of Lords supported the process that led to the passing of the 1913 ‘Mental deficiency act.’  This included draconian provisions for the indefinite detention of both adults and children who were diagnosed with mental impairments or mental illness.  The act resulted in people with a wide range of mental, physical and sensory disabilities being detained in asylums and long-stay institutions for most, if not all, of their lives.  A practice that continued throughout much of the 20^th century.

This, at times bleak and disappointing history, means that the church today has to work hard to earn any credibility as an institution that values and enables full belonging and participation for disabled people.  Our buildings often require extensive work to make them accessible and our structures and ways of doing things offer many barriers to participation for those who do not fit the ableist model of being that is at the heart of the church.  Our theology and interpretation of scripture can often reinforce this as well, pushing people who are disabled, neurodivergent or different in other ways to the margins of the church and our communities.

Disabled people face many disadvantages within our society and communities, but we also face many disadvantages within the church as well.   In many ways the church is playing ‘catch up,’ even though what we are catching up with is still woefully inadequate and disabling.

Disability History Month challenges us as the church to take the radical steps that are needed to become a place where justice and grace for all people is not only talked about but seen in action.  A place where all people are valued and their intrinsic worth in Christ is recognised and celebrated, particularly those who are regarded as disabled, neurodivergent or different within our judgemental secular society.

You can find resources and tools to help you begin to explore what this might mean for you and your church on the disability ministry area of the London diocese website, including the 360 Accessibility Audit Tool, and ‘Strength made perfect,’ a 6 session personal or small group study course.  Do get in touch for help, advice and support about how you might begin the journey to becoming a place of belonging and participation for disabled and neurodivergent people who so often find they are pushed to the margins of our communities.