Disability and Religion: Scholarly Studies and Papers: Publications and Documents
Summary
This database compiles scholarly and practical resources exploring the intersection of disability and religious traditions, including academic studies, theological essays, and community-based research. Publications address topics such as accessibility in worship spaces, interpretations of disability within sacred texts, faith-based caregiving models, and the role of spirituality in coping with chronic illness or aging. By curating diverse perspectives - from historical analyses to contemporary case studies - the collection offers insights into how religious communities can foster inclusion, adapt practices, and address ethical questions related to disability. It serves as a valuable reference for individuals, caregivers, faith leaders, and researchers seeking to navigate the complex relationship between belief systems and disability experiences.Searching the Database
The data table below lists items that may have been updated or revised, but the table defaults to sorting by descending publication date; you can search and sort by clicking column headers (JavaScript required). Items in this category are also distributed via our Disability and Religion: Scholarly Studies and Papers RSS feed.
| Title and Description | Ed* | Published Date Revised Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hyperreligiosity: When Faith Becomes a Clinical Sign Hyperreligiosity explained: how neurological disease, psychosis and rigid belief turn devotion into measurable harm, disability and preventable death. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Christian Nationalism and Disability: A History of Harm How Christian nationalism and organized religion have harmed disabled Americans, from eugenics sermons and church ADA exemptions to modern ableism. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Political Ideology Shapes Religious Exemption Views Research finds Americans judge religious exemption requests by political alignment, supporting claims that match their own ideology and doubting those that do not. | ✓ ✓ | |
| ADA Title III: Why Churches Can Legally Exclude You How the ADA Title III religious exemption lets churches and the schools, hospitals, and shelters they operate skip disability accessibility requirements. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Psilocybin Study Finds Lasting Spiritual Benefits in Clergy Randomized, peer-reviewed trial finds psilocybin improved religious practice, spiritual attitudes, mood, and pastoral effectiveness in clergy for 16 months. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Catholic Hospital Restrictions on Patient Care Explained How religious directives at Catholic hospitals limit reproductive care, LGBTQ inclusive treatment, and emergency options for patients across many US regions. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Why People Link Good Deeds to Belief in God: Study A peer-reviewed UC Merced study shows people link good deeds to belief in God far more strongly than they link immoral behavior to atheism across cultures. | ✓ ✓ | |
| How Religious Intolerance Predicts Science Denial Now A peer-reviewed study links religious intolerance to science denial, showing that greater religious diversity predicts stronger acceptance of scientific findings. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Anti-Christian Bias Claims as a Racial Dog Whistle: Study Peer-reviewed University of Washington study finds political claims of anti-Christian bias can act as a racial dog whistle signaling allyship with white people. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Places of Worship Linked to Higher Neighborhood Crime A peer-reviewed study of 742 places of worship in Washington, D.C. finds these sites are tied to higher violent and property crime in nearby neighborhoods. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Religion, Racial Resentment, and Abortion Attitudes Study Peer-reviewed study in Social Science Quarterly links racial resentment and religious beliefs to abortion attitudes, a tie that has grown stronger since 2012. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Evolution Acceptance in Students: Religion vs Nationality A PLOS ONE survey of 5,500 Brazilian and Italian students aged 14-16 finds nationality, income, and science views shape evolution acceptance more than religion. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Why Rural Churches Must Diversify Use or Face Closure A University of Cambridge audit of rural churches finds most run at a loss and explains how diversifying building use can keep them open as community assets. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Religious Trauma Syndrome: Escaping Toxic Religion Information regarding Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS), pervasive psychological damage resulting from religious messages, beliefs, and experiences. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Digital Religion and Millennial Faith in the U.S. and Canada University of Waterloo study finds digital religion, including online sermons and faith content on social media, complements in-person worship for millennials. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Spirituality in Health and Whole Person Patient Care A peer-reviewed Harvard analysis of spirituality in serious illness examines how spiritual care improves health outcomes, coping, and whole person treatment. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Religious Intolerance May Predict Anti-Science Beliefs An Ohio State review identifies four foundations of anti-science beliefs and examines how religious intolerance and politics can predict science denial. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Living With Polio: A Faith Story of Purpose and Disability Marcy Hernandez recounts contracting polio at age 3, living with disability, isolation and loss, and how faith taught her every person is indispensable. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Religious Belief Restores Purpose During Social Isolation Peer-reviewed University of Michigan research finds socially disconnected people turn to God for purpose, though human relationships remain the stronger source. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Religious Freedom Laws Tied to Poorer LGBTQ Health Days Pitt study finds Indiana sexual minorities reported far more unhealthy days after the state's 2015 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, while heterosexuals did not. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Disabled God: Disability Ethics Research Paper A research paper on disability theology and ethics from an Indian subaltern view, drawing on Nancy Eiesland's disabled God and the call for church inclusion. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Religious Belief Is Not Linked to Rational Thinking Coventry and Oxford University research finds that religious belief is shaped by upbringing and culture, not intuitive or analytical thinking styles. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Epilepsy and Religious Experience: A Brain Connection A peer-reviewed University of Missouri study links epilepsy to philosophical religious thinking, suggesting spiritual experience may be neurologically based. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Creation, Evolution and the Handicapped: Book Review Review of Pastor Richard Luther Corwin's book Creation, Evolution and the Handicapped, which argues evolutionary thinking devalues disabled lives and dignity. | ✓ ✓ | |
| The Delusional World of Man Made Gods and Religion An editorial arguing that man made deities are a human delusion, examining Freud, Dawkins, blasphemy laws, prayer studies, and the decline of religions. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Conflict Between Science and Religion is All in Our Mind Explains how the human brain's analytical and empathetic networks suppress each other, shaping tension between the truth of science and falsehood of religion. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Challenges Facing Muslims With Disabilities in the West How Muslims with disabilities face barriers in mosques, Islamic schools, and society across the UK, US, and Canada, plus why inclusion and access matter. | ✓ ✓ | |
| ASL Interpreted Online Church for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Northland Church streams an ASL interpreted Sunday worship service at 11 a.m. ET for deaf and hard of hearing worshipers on any phone, laptop or desktop. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Feeling Born That Way Linked to Anger at God Study A peer-reviewed study finds people who believe they were born to break moral rules are more likely to feel anger at God and related spiritual conflict. | ✓ ✓ | |
| How Spirituality Supports Patient Recovery in Health Care How spirituality supports patient recovery, with University of Huddersfield research on meaning, purpose and resilience in nursing and health care practice. | ✓ ✓ | |
| How Churches Can Better Support Mental Illness Care Minister and counselor Kristi Lemley explains why churches should pair prayer with professional treatment and reduce stigma around mental illness in the faith. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Spiritual Anger and Forgiveness in Hospice Family Care A Case Western Reserve study of 147 hospice family members links anger toward God to a relative's pain, and unresolved forgiveness to depressive symptoms. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Face to Face with God: Jim Maxim's Crash and Recovery Face to Face with God tells how Jim Maxim survived an alcohol-related car crash, described an encounter with Jesus in the hospital, and quit addiction. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Ministerial Exception and ADA Disability Discrimination How the ministerial exception lets religious employers sidestep the ADA, and why a fired Lutheran school teacher asked the Supreme Court to narrow its reach. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Religious Hospital Policies and Physician Ethical Conflict A University of Chicago survey finds nearly one in ten primary care doctors has clashed with religious hospital rules, and most would refer patients elsewhere. | ✓ ✓ | |
| Faith-Based Respite Care Models for Family Caregivers How congregations can deliver respite care for family caregivers, using vouchers, shared facilities, trained volunteers, cooperatives, and inclusive programs. | ✓ ✓ |
*Key: the first check mark indicates the publication carries an editor's note; the second indicates a footnote.
Note: Disabled World compiles disability-related publications as a resource. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by Disabled-World.com. To submit disability-related articles and peer-reviewed manuscripts and papers, ensure submissions comply with our guidelines. For questions, please contact us.
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