Books about white evangelicalism and disability
The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon
As someone who feels very solid in my split from evangelicalism, but who harbors a lot of affection for the people who still identify that way, I initially wasn't interested in this book. However, a blogger I very much admire, Jeff Chu (who, incidentally, does not identify as exvangelical), mentioned that he was interviewed in this book and recommended it, so I read it. I'm so glad I did. It's a well-written compassionate take on the various people who have left the evangelical fold, told through different lenses: politics, theology, race, sexuality, and more. The author herself grew up evangelical but is now Anglican, so I identified strongly with a lot of her story. In fact, it was kind of eerie reading about someone who grew up in the same cultural soup that I did, down to the curriculum her private school used and the Creationist lectures where the speakers made fun of Carl Sagan's accent. She is now a reporter for NPR and brings that sensibility to the way she writes. I was grateful to find my own story in this book, but it's also a really useful read for anyone wondering why people who have grown up in this part of the church have split apart from it en masse.
(Note: I wrote this review before the election, and I'm beginning to think that anyone who's confused about why people leave the evangelical church are simply refusing to see the very obvious truth. But I digress.)
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong
This anthology highlights various authors and non-authors who have various disabilities; it's a mix of essays, interviews, speeches, and more. It highlights a lot of disabilities that aren't as obvious or talked-about (the essay about incontinence, which is a taboo subject despite being incredibly widespread, especially stuck with me), and presents perspectives and emotions more than solutions. It's an uncomfortable read, but an important one.
Previously on What I've Been Reading:
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