With All Your Mind: Autism and the Church

by Erin Burnett

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind …’ But what if your mind works differently?

Autistic people see the world differently. Sadly, many autistic Christians do not feel fully included in their local church. It doesn’t have to be this way – with understanding and support, autistic people can play a vital role in Christian communities.

In this short, insightful and personal book, Erin Burnett draws upon interviews with autistic Christians and her own experience of being on the spectrum to explain what autism is, how autistic people approach spirituality and what aspects of Christianity autistic people often find difficult.

Using a blend of Biblical teaching, scientific research and personal stories, With All Your Mind offers guidance on welcoming autistic people into the body of Christ and suggests ways that churches can be more accommodating.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Nonfiction

65 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2022

About the author

Erin Burnett was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and has enjoyed writing from a young age. Her debut novel, Liza’s Avenger, was published by Flagship Fiction in 2017. She has a theology degree from Queen’s University Belfast where she researched the intersection between autism and faith, leading to the publication of With All Your Mind: Autism and the Church in 2022.

In addition to writing, Erin enjoys cycling and travelling. Of the 75 countries she has visited, her favourite is Japan.

Reviews

[Rhona McKinlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

An nice concise and informative read. Gives a good insight and practical advice for churches to support people with autism.

[Sarah McCain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt that this quick-read booklet was a very good place to start for someone wanting to delve deeper on the topic of autism and faith. Burnett offers some helpful perspectives and raises important questions, and as she states in the introduction, this piece is meant to start the conversation, not summarize it. It gave me some things to think about, as someone hoping to create an inclusive church space in Northern Ireland (and as someone who experiences autism personally).

However, I would have appreciated a more balanced perspective on the autistic spiritual experience. I believe in a God who indwells us, in our truest inmost being, which is where, I understand, the autistic person is deeply grounded and better poised to listen to God’s voice in a way that NT people may struggle with, and therefore truly KNOW God, in a tangibly relational sense. But I know from personal experience, the mind really IS a beast of its own, and the mental gymnastics we could put ourselves through to manufacture a false religion can be so crushing (and I appreciated Burnett’s mention of the effects of religious scrupulosity). Perhaps a semi-structured contemplative expression would best suit many autistic Christians. But those are just my thoughts. Thanks, Erin!

[Charlie Keeble · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very well written and I think it gives me hope that my autism is welcome in the church. I am not a practicing Christian myself but I do take an interest in theology and it does show support for the disabled. Erin Burnett has shown how it has accommodated her and how she has improvised her own practices in Anglican communion with her own autistic traits. I have been trying to make sense of what kind of way that an autistic person can be embraced in the community and I think Burnett has found one way of putting it. I myself have my own autistic advocacy ideas and one thing that the author has put nicely here is how the church embraces the principle of imperfectability.

God bless her for writing this book.

[David Holdsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent

An excellent book. I was late diagnosed autistic recently. I am also a Christian, Pacifist and itinerant preacher. So this book related to my life greatly. My experience of being a Christian has a clear framework of being born again. Salvation by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone, leading to bearing good fruit, to the glory of God alone. So my view and experience of Faith and spirituality might vary from some autistics and indeed others, who might not yet be at that stage. The book is definitely a good starter for exploring Faith and autism. My thanks to the author.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this after listening to Burnett's interview on the Nomad podcast. I am certain I've described myself as "religious but not spiritual" before, and this booklet came at a time where I've been unpacking a lot of my own feelings about belonging in the church, particularly around what it means to be a Christian who doesn't believe in God (at least not in a traditional sense). I felt very pleasantly called out by this booklet, as well as inspired by the reminder of the diversity of the Kingdom of God.

[Gbemisola Boyede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and easy to read

This is a very practical book on how to support individuals with autism in developing faith and belonging to the church community written from the perspective of practical experience of someone on the spectrum. I recommend for all pastors and church workers who support people with autism in their ministries.

[Katie Crothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book, showing how autism can affect a relationship with God but does not prevent one, rather we need to adapt and improve to make how we teach and approach Christianity with others, especially autistic people better

[Carlene Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really really good - not just in relation to church but also as a general introduction to autism- my one “complaint” is that it is only really a 50 page booklet.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise, helpful book about autism acceptance and being in a church community. Lots of food for thought written in an engaging style.

[Asher D Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liturgy IS good

[K.L. Beckmeyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but frankly, it was a disaster. After (potentially helpfully) suggesting churches provide earplugs, the author goes on to propagate unhelpful stereotypes under the guise of being understanding, as some Christians are prone to gossip under the guise of prayer requests.

I reject the idea that autistic people cannot have a personal relationship with Jesus. This book notes that agape love is an action not a feeling after lamenting autistic Christian's difficulties "feeling an intimate connection to God," and then doesn't bother pointing out any autistic strengths but goes on to further lament how autistic Christians feel lonely. In my experience, autistic Christians are typically more logical Christians, and that results in a thoughtful and strong apologetic rather than doubt. This author seems to have bought into the idea that Christians should all be touchy-feely to show off their "spirituality" and these neurotypical spiritual Christians should bear with the weaker autistic members of the church. Maybe my one star review is just because I strongly disagree with the above stated idea, but really: is this book meant to help or harm the church?

[Hank Kiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book of insight into the autistic mind and how they can experience and relate to God and life in the church.

[Chipego (pagedbypego) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are new to the topic (Like I was) this is a Great Intro to Autism and how to think about it in the church.

[Whitney Garrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book that seems to be introducing autism to people unfamiliar with it, I think it would have been ideal to list the DSM’s diagnostic criteria, explained what each one means, and then expound on autistic characteristics that have not yet been included in that criteria. Instead the author had a list that did encompass some of that criteria, but not all.

I also had issues with the use of biblical texts in this. At one point the author said “we can forgive ancient texts for not using modern disability terminology” and I believe the term she took issue with was “cripple.” And then later she used the term “sin of exclusion” several times referring to instances where people were adhering to the old law, without seeming to realize that she was implying the Mosaic law was sinful. It was a bit of a postmodern mess to me.

There was some good here, such as explaining how many autistic folks struggle to feel a personal connection with God, particularly when their fellow Christians put so much emphasis on emotion in worship. Though, I’ve seen this explained much better by other autistic writers, such as Brant Hansen.

Overall it was not what I was hoping it would be.

[C.t.ryan.98 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good points to chase up, but as the author says, a pamphlet not a book, a starting point and very high level.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical little booklet!