The mainstream UK discourse on autism is dominated by actors working out of either a 'medical model' of autism (largely the scientific-medical-psychological establishment) or a 'social model' of autism (largely from an autism advocacy viewpoint). The result is a discourse that is often fractious, contentious, and confusing. The introduction of a 'neurodiversity paradigm' seeks to provide some potential common ground but at the risk of providing further scope for varying interpretations by the actors in the discourse.
What contribution can a Christian theological viewpoint make to the development of a more constructive discourse on autism in the UK?
This is the question that I will explore throughout my PhD at CAT. The construction of a Christian theological viewpoint with the potential to establish a credible actor in this discourse will necessarily be a cross-discipline exercise. Whilst theological thinking about autism itself is an emerging area of study championed by CAT, there are rich veins of more established and potentially relevant theological thought on topics such as the use of analogy in describing the inaccessible, indivisibly complex and mysterious, what it means to be human, the role of the Gospel in breaking down ‘them-us’ barriers, God’s preference for the poor and marginalised and the ethical aspects of engaging in discourse in the context of conflict.