Persons with disabilities in the Christian church: a scoping review on the impact of expressions of compassion and justice on their inclusion and participation

Abstract

Despite the recognition of societal inclusion as a human right, persons with disabilities face many barriers preventing their participation in mainstream Christian denominations. A scoping review was conducted to map the relevant literature to explore the Christian Church’s expressions of compassion and/or justice toward persons with disabilities, and how this impacts their inclusion and participation. The findings confirm the paucity of literature addressing this phenomenon, as well as the under-representation of persons with disabilities in research concerning their own interests. Four nested themes reflect the harmful effects of misplaced pity and insufficient justice toward persons with disabilities, revealing evidence of oppression, expressed through stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination – all perceived to hinder their meaningful participation in the body of Christ. Knowledge gaps concerning the lived experiences of persons with disabilities in this setting were identified and recommended for future research.