How Ableism Fuels Racism: Dismantling the Hierarchy of Bodies in the Church

by Lamar Hardwick

As an autistic pastor and disability scholar, Lamar Hardwick lives at the intersection of disability, race, and religion. Tied to this reality, he heeded the call to write How Ableism Fuels Racism to help Christian communities engage in critical conversations about race by addressing issues of ableism.

Hardwick believes that ableism--the idea that certain bodies are better than others--and the resulting disability discrimination are the root causes of racial bias and injustice in American culture and in the church. Here, he uses historical records, biblical interpretation, and disability studies to examine how ableism in America led to the creation of images, idols, and institutions that fuel both disability and racial discrimination.

He then goes a step further, calling the church into action to address the deep-seated issues of ableism that started it all and offering practical steps to help readers dismantle ableism and racism both in attitude and practice.

Genres: Disability, Nonfiction, Religion, History, Race, Christian, Justice

179 pages, Paperback

Published February 20, 2024

Reviews

[John Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who works in the disability field and has children with Autism, I was very excited to dive into "How Ableism Fuels Racism" by Lamar Hardwick. This book delves into a field I focus on, and I had high hopes for it. However, my experience with the book was mixed.

From the start, I found the book to be more laborious than engaging. While some books are easy to read, this one felt like work. The narrative was repetitive, and although there were some "ah-ha" moments, I struggled to buy into many of Hardwick’s suggested connections and leaps.

Hardwick's perspective is undoubtedly unique, and I appreciated his insights into the intersectionality between disability, racism, and religion. However, I found it challenging to see the depth of connection he suggested. Specifically, I had difficulty following his reasoning behind connecting racism and ableism specifically to and caused by the church. While our society does equate beauty and body standards with health and morality in an ableist way, this is not something I see as specific to the church alone.

The book offered a good amount of correlation, but correlation does not equate to causality. If there is truly a strong connection between ableism, racism, and the church, I felt that Hardwick did not sufficiently explain, define, or prove his hypothesis. While there are undoubtedly elements of the Church or theology that perpetuate bias, I don’t believe they are more complicit than many other institutions in our society.

Despite my struggles with the book, I appreciated the different perspective and the disclaimer at the beginning about disability language. While this book didn't speak to me personally, others might find value in its unique viewpoint and thorough exploration of these critical issues.

[Richard Propes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will openly acknowledge that Lamar Hardwick, the lead pastor of Atlanta's Tri-Cities Church and a pastor with autism, wasn't on my disability theology radar and I wasn't sure what to expect from his upcoming release "How Ableism Fuels Racism: Dismantling the Hierarchy of Bodies in the Church."

I was blown away.

With "How Ableism Fuels Racism," Hardwick proposes that ableism and the resulting disability discrimination are the root causes of racial bias and injustice in American culture and in the church. Weaving together a tapestry of historical records, biblical interpretation, and disability studies, Hardwick examines how ableism in America led to the creation of images, idols, and institutions that would ultimately fuel both disability and racial discrimination.

After engaging in this discussion, Hardwick calls the church into action to address the deeper issues of ableism and offers practical steps to help readers dismantle ableism and racism in both attitude and practice.

As an ordained minister and seminary graduate who is also a paraplegic and double amputee, I've long immersed myself in the world of disability theology and long believed that the church embraces the hierarchy of bodies about which Hardwick writes. "How Ableism Fuels Racism" served up a myriad of Aha! moments for me and times when long-held beliefs were finally communicated with clarity. Interestingly, Hardwick even clarified for me what had troubled me with another book I recently read around the issue of "deconstruction." I may have actually shouted out "Yes, that's it!"

I've long believed that being accommodated by a church is the ground floor step toward full inclusion. It's far from enough, yet for an institution that fought against the ADA it's often seen as the ultimate gift for those with disabilities. Instead, Hardwick argues that the church should be passionately pursuing those with disabilities and others outside the "typical" hierarchy of bodies."

I'm telling you. Brilliant stuff here. I can't stop thinking about it. Precise in its criticism yet also constructive and forward thinking, "How Ableism Fuels Racism" confronts the shameful and shame-filled underbelly of American Christianity and offers a broader and more inclusive vision of God, faith, and church life.

How much did I love this book? I'm already reading it again.

[Fern Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was a brilliant book! Hardwick looks at both ableism and racism and how the two are linked due to both leading to people being othered as ‘less than’ in a similar way. Exploring the role the Church has in this (and also to some extent could have in changing this) this is a very challenging and thought provoking read. Hardwick gets the balance just right at explaining the concepts for those that might not have come across them but goes into plenty of depth for those who may have background knowledge making this a fantastic book for someone who may have pre-existing information in one area and not the other, entirely new or just looking for some up to date arguments. A solid case is built and I really hope this will be a foundation book for even more research and discussion on this subject in the future. Since finishing the book I’ve found myself reflecting on it a lot and it is one I know I will read again in the future. If you’re trying to decide whether or not to give this a read, I definitely recommend that you do.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful book and an important challenge to the status quo in modern U.S. American Christianity (and beyond, I suspect, but I will speak from my own context). I appreciated Hardwick’s illumination of the direct link between ableism and racism, which he explained in a way I had never heard before. I also found his interpretation and application of scripture from a disability theology lens to be insightful. He uses a framework that shows “how ableism in America led to the creation of images, idols, and institutions that perpetuate both disability and racial discrimination.”

I’m fairly new to learning about disability theology and found this book to be a helpful, accessible read that challenged some of the core assumptions many of us inherited from our white western evangelical upbringing. Hardwick combines his own life experience as a Black disabled pastor with his thought-provoking engagement with scripture to call Christians to a more just and liberating theology. Disability theology is not simply a means of including disabled folks in the Christian community but is an essential lens through which we will see Jesus, others, and ourselves in a completely new light that is transformative.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

In order to reverse engineer the effects of ableism and its subsequent impact on racism in America, we have to engage a theology that unravels harmful images of Black bodies, especially images that present them as inherently disabled.

I've read many books on racism in the church and ableism in the church, but this was the first time I've read about how racism and ableism intersect within the church. It was a fascinating perspective, as I'd never thought about things through this lens before.

Hardwick provides much historic and modern context, connecting threads I hadn't connected before and has given me much to think about. This was very well-researched and very thought-provoking.

It's in many ways a sad read to think about how the church has failed so many over the years, but I'm encouraged by the calls to action. Highly recommend if you're interested in exploring the intersection of disability and race within American Christianity.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Tone Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Important. Timely. Pastor Lamar calls the Western church to decenter itself so that ableism and racism will dissipate. I will go back to this book time and again for my advocacy work inside and outside of the church.

[Rohadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very simply, a must read paradigm shifting book.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores how racism and disability justice issues intersect and intertwine, particularly within the American church. Lamar Hardwick writes from his perspective as an autistic Black pastor, and his recent battles with cancer also inform his writing. He takes an incisive look at the ways that people sideline and make judgments about "abnormal" bodies, and he explores how different racist and ableist ideas developed in early American history, primarily related to enslaved Africans. Because I share Hardwick's interest in American history, I was already familiar with most of this information, but it will be new and eye-opening for many readers.

Hardwick clearly explains the historical connection between ableism and racism, showing how people justified slavery by arguing that Black people were intellectually inferior, were childlike, and should not have agency over their own lives. Hardwick explores both glaring and subtle implications of this ideology, and he makes a number of very excellent points. He is bold and doesn't mince words, and he explains complicated, abstract ideas in accessible terms. He also touches on a variety of side issues to his main thesis, such as desirability politics, body shame, and issues with grind culture.

Hardwick gives examples of how early American Christians contributed to pervasive cultural problems, and he also shares contemporary stories to show how problematic ideas cause harm in real life. His personal stories add a lot to the book, and I appreciate his honesty and vulnerability. I also appreciate how Hardwick uses Scripture throughout the book, especially when he is writing about disability theology. Some similar books focus primarily on personal experiences and secular social justice theories, with only loose Scriptural connections, but Hardwick bases his arguments in specific Bible passages and the big story of Scripture. I disagree with some of his interpretations, but found his arguments significantly more persuasive than ones I've seen before.

One confusing, weaker element of this book is that Hardwick begins using "ableism" as a catch-all term for any kind of hierarchy of human value. Even though different forms of discrimination can overlap in complex ways, Hardwick often uses the word "ableism" in cases where there isn't a direct reference to physical or mental abilities. Because he stretches this word's definition, readers who are new to this conversation may struggle to follow his arguments at times.

My other critique is that even though Hardwick is accurate and persuasive in his coverage of historical wrongs in the American church, he sometimes makes it sound like all of these issues started with American Christianity. Even though we can trace back particular expressions of racism and ableism to influential people like Cotton Mather, the root issues are part of the human condition. Many Christians throughout time have absorbed harmful ideas from their societies and expressed these assumptions in Christian language, but they weren't inventing these forms of oppression.

Also, even though people created specific racist beliefs to justify the institution of slavery, ableism has been an issue in all cultures since the beginning of time. Christianity began in a cultural context where it was normal and acceptable for parents to discard female and disabled infants to die in the elements, and early Christian advocacy is part of why that is so gut-wrenching and unthinkable to us now. Even though Hardwick's analysis is helpful, it's only part of the story. I think that he could have balanced it out better with more context, while still holding the same American historical figures accountable for their sins and failings.

How Ableism Fuels Racism covers a variety of issues in a thought-provoking, engaging way. I appreciate the author's historical analysis, thoughtful reflections, and personal stories, and I would recommend this book to people who are invested the topic. Also, even though some aspects of this book might be confusing for people who haven't read anything like this before, the author's accessible writing style, clear explanations, and personal stories can help engage readers who are new to the topic. Overall, I was impressed with this book and am interested in reading more from this author.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie Ridiculous · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this is a pretty big swing and a miss for me.

Towards the end of the book Hardwick says "Much of this book has been aimed at examining the history and theology that shaped the intersection between black and disabled bodies and the way that the Christian church and the west has failed in it's treatment of atypical bodies." I don't think the book achieved this. Despite having some interesting facts and thoughts, I don't think Hardwick successfully analyzed this intersection or presented a coherent and well laid out argument.

The initial framework of Judges 17 is such a stretch that it's baffling. There are so many other places in scripture that establish the need for justice, the corruption of power, and that all bodies have inherent value that I am totally mystified about the choice of Judges 17. The commitment to shaping the story of Micah and the stolen silver to explaining racism and ableism is so far fetched that it undermines the rest of the book.

Hardwick's definition of ableism ("the practice of discriminating against people with disabilities based on belief that normal bodies are superior to those that are not") and ongoing language about "normal" vs "non-normal" bodies feels problematic to me; perpetuating the idea that there is such a thing as a normal body. I think I'm more interested in works and conversations that seek to establish that the concept of "normal" bodies doesn't exist, rather than that "non-normal" bodies have value. While believing that all bodies have value obviously would support that "non-normal" bodies do, I think it's more impactful, and accurate, to debunk the idea of normalcy. The standard that we're all compared against is a fabricated one. Instead of appealing to the culture to accept an alternative "non-normal" as valuable I think we should dismantle the framework entirely.

There are multiple times where Hardwick makes statements that are really interesting but he doesn't do the work of establishing their truth or why he thinks them. For example, he says that influence of religion in healthcare has led to the moralization of medical issues. The terms "Pre-existing conditions" and "co-morbidities" are weaponized against marginalized bodies - and while I agree that those terms/concepts absolutely DO harm marginalized folks, Hardwick did nothing to establish how those terms came from religious influence.

I really believe the core argument here, that the Church has had a giant negative impact on our culture when it comes to racism and ableism (and many other isms), and do think there is a specific and significant relationship between racism and ableism in these spaces. I do think that ableism fuels racism, but I would not use this book to help others see that connection.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

How Ableism Fuels Racism
Dismantling the Hierarchy of Bodies in the Church
by Lamar Hardwick
Pub Date 20 Feb 2024
Baker Academic & Brazos Press,Brazos Press
Christian| Nonfiction \(Adult\)

I'm reviewing How Ableism Fuels Racism through Baker Academic/Brazos Press and Netgalley:


As an autistic pastor and disability scholar, Lamar Hardwick deals with disability, race, and religion. Because of this, he wrote How Ableism Fuels Racism to help Christian communities talk about race by addressing issues of ableism.



Hardwick thinks ableism--the idea that certain bodies are better than others--and disability discrimination fueled by it are the root causes of racial bias and injustice in American culture. He examines how ableism in America led to images, idols, and institutions that perpetuate both disability and racial discrimination using historical records, biblical interpretation, and disability studies.



In addition, he offers practical steps for readers to dismantle ableism and racism in attitude and practice in order to address the deep-seated issues of ableism that started it all.


I give How Ableism Fuels Racism five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Aquila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought a lot of the points the author made were valid and thoughtful assessments of the church and society as a whole, but I did struggle with how heavily God centered the book was. I knew the author was a pastor, but still didn't quite anticipate or appreciate the focus being there. I feel so much of what he had to say would absolutely still be worthwhile without that being the lens it was viewed through.

[Jon Coutts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine, cursory look at ableism's intersection with anti-blackness in America. It would have benefitted from some indigenous perspective on the colonizing logic of mastery and marketability. Good concluding reflection on shame in Gen 3.

[Josh Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intersectionality is the idea that humans are not just one thing and that both privileges and injustices compound where there are places of intersection. For example, women have historically been viewed as less important and less powerful than men. This inequality becomes compounded when another factor, such as being a cultural or ethnic minority, intersects the original factor. However, a factor such as wealth might mitigate some of those injustices while not removing them entirely.

In How Ableism Fuels Racism, Dr. Lamar Hardwick writes about the intersection of racism (injustice due to one’s race) and ableism (injustice due to one’s physical or cognitive abilities) and how ableism actually encompasses, or stems from the same foundation, as racism. Hardwick writes as someone intimately familiar with both types of injustices. In the opening pages of the book, he talks about calling the police to report a suspicious vehicle at the retail chain he managed. The police arrived and pulled their guns on Hardwick. Hardwick is a Black man in America. He has felt the historic and present injustices of racism. But Hardwick also deals with the social disability of autism and physical disabilities resulting from cancer and cancer treatment. Hardwick and his story are the very embodiment of this book’s message.

In the opening chapters of How Ableism Fuels Racism, Hardwick outlines the history of ableist and racist theologies in America. Both ableism and racism have a commonality in that they assign a hierarchy to bodies. Some bodies are better than others—historically those that are white, male, physically able, and neurotypical. From the Plymouth Pilgrims to John Piper, Hardwick details a history that has marginalized people of color and the disabled. Like racism, ableism is at the rotten foundation of American empire.

Hardwick is able to show how the two are linked in history, with a justification of slavery being that African people lacked the intelligence for independence. He also spends time on the Puritan view of “disability,” writing that the Puritan ethic centered on male-led families structured to bring about economic prosperity. While it remains subtle, How Ableism Fuels Racism offers a corollary critique of capitalism for the way in which it often values bodies based on their economic usefulness and shames those whose bodies do not bring such value.

From here, Hardwick draws in the church as complicit, prophetically calling it to account for its historic and continuing failures in equality. He outlines how churches were among those that stood at the forefront against the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act and that passage of the law was contingent on it not being applied to religious organizations. He then explicitly calls out prominent evangelical pastor John Piper for comments made implying that disability equals suffering, despair, and a lack of beauty. Hardwick riffs on this form of “desirability politics” and the evangelical assumption that any perceived imperfection is a result of sin.

Hardwick also talks about the intersection of racism and ableism when it comes to healthcare, using his own lived experience as example. In a story which I wish I would say was shocking, Hardwick details how being twice misdiagnosed for abdominal pain led to emergency surgery and a colon resection that has left him permanently using a colostomy bag. How Ableism Fuels Racism gives readers a concise yet comprehensive overview of multiple facets where the intersection of race and disability compound injustice.

But, writes, Hardwick, there is a solution. The latter half of How Ableism Fuels Racism moves from prophetic indictment and lament to an exhortation of repentance—one which Hardwick believes the church must lead. Building on the seminal work of Nancy Eiesland, Hardwick portrays Jesus as crucified and therefore disabled. In compelling fashion, he makes the case that Jesus, a brown skinned man born into poverty also became a disabled God—a concept that radically challenges our theology. The fact that God bears in the body of Jesus the crucifixion wounds is a powerful symbol that tears down any hierarchy of bodies within God’s kingdom. And that fact calls us to repent and through repentance, work toward justice.

How Ableism Fuels Racism is both deeply personal and widely applicable. It’s Hardwick’s story, but he sets his story within the context of evangelical America and, beyond that, in the history of the American empire. While Hardwick’s story is unique in that it is his story and his story matters, it is not unique is that Hardwick is alone. Throughout history and the present, Hardwick shows quite clearly how the sins of disability and racial injustice have formed us. Then, with the weary sigh and fatigued hope of a prophet, he tells us we can do better.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: An argument that ableism is an important lens through which to understand racism, because both create a hierarchy of superior and inferior bodies.

Lamar Hardwick is a pastor who lives at the intersection of racism and ableism as a Black pastor on the autism spectrum. Also, at the time of the writing, he is under treatment for a recurrence of cancer, with the attendant bodily disabilities this brings. As he has reflected on his own experienced, read scripture and researched American history, he is convinced that ableism not only fuels discriminatory treatment of the disabled but also racial discrimination. The connection is the idealizing of certain bodies as fit and superior. In the American experience, this has particularly centered on White bodies, especially male bodies.

Hardwick focuses on Judges 17: 1-6, in which a young man, Micah, steals a large sum of money in gold from his mother, then under threat of curse confesses his sin. Instead of punishment, his mother takes the gold and has it made into an idol for the household. When a Levite comes through, Micah persuades him to become his priest. From this incident, Hardwick discerns three stages of ableism: images, idols, and institutions. Instead of facing sin, we honor what we should grieve, make it an object of central concern, an idol, and then create institutions to support our idolatry.

Hardwick traces how this was done in the early settlement of the U.S., subjugating women and indigenous people, and importing slaves, considering them inferior human beings. Slavery was even defended as a blessing for the inferior slave! He traces ways churches supported this form of ableism, and have continued to do so, pleading for and receiving exemption from the ADA legislation of 1990.

He cites a statement of John Piper’s that equated disability with ugliness and how our idolatry of superior bodies upholds certain White and ableist ideals of beauty. I was reminded of a conversation at a social gathering where someone remarked on the attractiveness of Michelle Obama only to be confronted by a yuck face from one of the other (White) women.

He offers a particularly personal discussion of ableism, racism, and healthcare in terms of access, differences in listening to reported symptoms, and quality of care. He also discusses how ableism fuels racism in the church, and the important role Black churches have been in offering a refuge from ableist and racist treatment and in many ways have led the way in disability inclusion.

One of the most thought-provoking chapters focused on the disabled God. The resurrected Jesus still bears the wounds of the crucifixion, and in this, God is glorified. This contrasts with ableist versions of Jesus, blonde, blue-eyed, ripped and aggressive.

Hardwick also considers the world of work and ableist ideas of productivity, what he calls “grind culture.” The question arises of the worth of bodies that cannot meet the demand of the grind, and the different ways bodies of color and disabled bodies participate in the work of creation. He proposes elevating place-making above profit-making as one way to address this.

I thought the major point the author was making to be compelling–that ableism furnishes the energy for racism in the distinction between superior and inferior bodies. At the same time, I wonder if the connection, if not conflation, of the two may mean overlooking the voices of persons with disabilities. Yet Hardwick offers important insights into the idolization and institutionalization of ableism. Most striking, and a field where I think further work is possible is the idea of the disabled God, the God who does not think the “disabilities” of the cross something to be “fixed.” People need not become White or able to be beautiful before God. The personal insights Hardwick adds from his fight with cancer sharpens his critique of ableism, even as it reminds me that to pray for him that the power of the disabled God would shine through his life.

____________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[Rach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ableism and racism are issues that America and the world as a whole suffer under, and those, along with fatphobia and other things that make human bodies seemingly “less desirable” work together in intersectional ways to oppress people. It’s up to us as individuals, both Christian and otherwise, to reject these biases when we see them and proactively root them out of our institutions and communities. Until these systemic issues are unrooted, people continue to suffer and be persecuted.

While it is enlightening to see examples of how organized religion, specifically American Christianity (a term I personally find too broad to be useful), I had a hard time following the author’s reasoning behind connecting racism and ableism specifically to and caused by the church. These issues exist in the church (though hopefully less so each day), but no more so than in any other organization.

While it is clear that our society equates beauty and body standards with health and morality in an ableist way, that’s not specific to the church itself, either. Rather it’s an indictment of society as a whole that some Christians fall prey to instead of pushing back against, as they should. Using Piper’s comments about disability and ugliness being linked to sin and moral failings should be proof that society as a whole is ableist/sizist/racist. Yes, he happens to be a pastor and is spouting these societal failings from a position of evangelical responsibility, which makes them especially disgusting, but he’d shouldn’t be allowed to represent a whole religious community.

In the end, equating racism with ableism feels like a stretch. They certainly intersect, but they aren’t exactly the same thing. Either it’s a false comparison, or the author didn’t sufficiently explain, define, or prove his hypothesis. The book itself felt disjointed, jumping around from topic to topic. I also couldn’t see how the story of Micah fit into his narrative. It’s possible I am not the target audience for this book, or perhaps my brain just can’t comprehend it.

I definitely feel like these are topics worth learning about, and feel led to look up some of the materials the author referenced.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book focuses on ableism and racism, I learned a significant amount about how the church has perpetuated ableism over the years and how the founding fathers of our country used religion and ableism as the initial forms of a caste system. Black bodies were seen as inferior and therefore were able in their minds able to be enslaved. This book is a great read for those in the church who want to learn more about equality and how we as a community and church can do better about falling into the trap that we may be "better than." Lamar Hardwick quoted many different authors and theologians, including one who wrote a book about how Jesus was disabled as a result of the crucifixion. This book is great food for thought and I recommend for those who want to learn more about how they and the church view those seen as different.

"Racial slavery in the West began by using disability to make chattel slavery a matter of charity rather than a matter of equality. Defining Africans as mentally inferior and effectively disabled allowed for proslavery advocates to appeal to the Christian ethos of benevolence."

"The challenge is that beauty is an abstract concept. Our inability to define beauty without using a deficit model stands in contrast to our fundamental beliefs about how God created us. Our origin begins outside of us. An infinitely holy and wise God who creates with intention and intimacy placed us in the world. Acknowledging God's creative genius challenges us to believe that God does not create anything that is not beautiful in its own way."

[Amanda books_ergo_sum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disability theology wasn’t on my 2024 bingo card. But maybe it should have been.

I didn’t even realize this was a theology book until I’d already grabbed it and noticed its subtitle: “Dismantling the Hierarchy of Bodies in the Church”.

Don’t get me wrong—I loved the theology in here. I found the Bible references nostalgic (I grew up Catholic), the hermeneutics philosophy-adjacent (and therefore lovely), the moral ontology refreshingly deep, and anytime I see progressive minds reclaiming theological ground ceded to conservative jerks I just want to cheer them on.

I love own-voices nonfiction (our author is a Black pastor with a disability). And there were some really interesting points in here about ableism’s role in the legacy of slavery and the early American Christian churches.

That said, there is a suuuper specific form I’m looking for in a book like this, and this didn’t really have it. I want Judith Butler, Slavoj Žižek, Frantz Fanon (and dare I say, Hegel?)—a thinker who successfully marries the theology/philosophy of moral arguments and text-focussed hermeneutics with social and political info and current events. And in this book, those two elements stayed too disconnected, imo.

But I’m happy I got out of my comfort zone with this one, randomly picking it to fulfill a prompt for The Diverse Baseline challenge.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that Hardwick did a really good job at looking at historical and current issues of both ableism and racism and their points of intersection. Occasionally, I did not quite follow how the two were as closely connected as he argued, but that certainly does not mean that the book should be thrown out. I think the biggest benefit of a book like this is to demonstrate how interconnected these kinds of issues are. Whenever society judges a certain type of body to be less valuable (due to race, ability, gender, beauty, or class), the judgement is not isolated. It is complex and layered and has to be addressed on multiple fronts.

I also really liked the section on concepts of beauty. The reality that our concept of beauty is centered on abled white bodies is present and must be grappled with. How do we place moral value on these questions? How do we move forward without shame but instead in the healing power of Jesus? These are the questions that Hardwick does an excellent job considering and answering in this book.

[Kj Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another must read book from Lamar Hardwick. This, and disability and the church, should be on every Christian leaders reading list.

How Ableism Fuels Racism is a groundbreaking exploration of the intersection between ableism and racism, offering a compelling argument that both forms of discrimination stem from a shared hierarchy of bodies.

Hardwick, a Black autistic pastor, expertly weaves historical analysis, biblical interpretation, and personal experience to reveal how ableist ideologies have shaped racial injustices in America and the church.

The book is both bold and accessible, challenging readers with practical steps to dismantle these systems of oppression. Hardwick’s unique voice makes this a must-read for advocates of justice and inclusion.

I only wish more pastors would read Hardwick’s work so we might truly see a church that reflects the biblical truth that all bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made.

[William White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reverend Doctor Hardwick, thank you for sharing eye-opening shifts as well as the needs for the world and church community to have empowering paradigm shifts. Ableism is destructive and sinful. Thank you sharing for how harmful church hierarchy can be when individuals are looking and executing from oppressive mindsets. Thank you sharing the importance of the church community purposefully needing to be liberating as well as socially, racially, and ethically inclusive. Thank you for not being afraid to acknowledge holistically in the Christian community all people of all persuasions and abilities should matter and need to matter. Thank you for writing a courageous book!

[Elizabeth Herr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This is my first time reading Lamar Hardwick's work, and it's both brilliant and necessary. How Ableism Fuels Racism is a thoughtful, well-researched case that considers the intersection of disability theology & racism through unique & connecting threads. It's a book I'll need to reread and revisit, and I look forward to reading more from Hardwick in the future.

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to read because we are forced to face how deeply both ableism and racism are, not just in society, but even in the church. In fact, as the author argues, part of the reason that these things run so deeply in our society is partially because of some church teachings. The author speaks from personal experience in both areas and provides a persuasive diagnosis of the problem and helps to point the church in the right direction. This is an important book to read.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, I need to read Disability and the Church. This book opened my eyes to ableism being the root of so much of our history-both as a nation and as Christians-and not always in obvious ways. I appreciated his discussion on if disability is a result of the fall, and how joy is a form of resistance. He has a very helpful perspective, and defines terms as he speaks to them. Very engaging and thoughtful book.

[Shannon Blosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful book that looks at the role ableism and discrimination plays in the American church in marginalizing minorities and individuals with a disability. It is a must read for any pastor and church member who wants to wrestle with how to be the church that truly embraces every person for who they are in God’s love.

[Alexandra Sarette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Offers a perspective which at times is overly personal and far too preachy. If you can overlook this offers interesting information to take in on how the church has shaped American disability culture. However, it overlooks centuries of political decisions which may be of greater significance in the modern era.

[Marcia McLaughlin]

I could not complete reading this book. I tried. It is not well written and doesn't really give a new perspective on racism. I've been reading many books on the subject and this one just does not draw me in or teach me anything new.

[Greg Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hardwick provides a compelling case for an often unnoticed root for racism: ableism. If Christians believe—either explicitly or implicitly—that there is such a thing as an ideal body then any variation of the sin of partiality is not just possible but likely. A great read.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really enlightening and timely! I appreciate the author's perspectives, explanations, and insights. This book definitely expanded my disability theology and will greatly impact my justice work.

[hauntedandholierthanthou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves ALL FIVE STARS. Thank you for writing this. Thank you thank you thank you.

[Niamh]

A very accessible and interesting read. It makes me very excited for more intersectional disability theology, engaging with questions of gender and race.