Autistic Liberation Theology Laura Sommer
-
- Religion & Spirituality
-
I am a queer autistic theology enthusiast with no formal training. In my podcast episodes I will sit down with future pastors and present to them the theological theories that have formed from accumulated knowledge. personal experiences and pop culture, all filtered through the prism of my mysterious, trauma-informed autistic brain. I will ask my guests wether my ideas are boring mainstream opinions, radical groundbreaking new theology or just plain heresy.
Should be fun! :-)
-
The Kingdom of Heaven is Like a Pizza Dough...
Once again my friend Michi has joined me for an episode.
(0:00) Mark 10:35-44 — James & John's request to be at Jesus' right
and left hand — wrong way of understanding leadership, power(6:15)
Summary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Drum Major" sermon; how privilege
impacts who is given the great authoritative roles & letting go of
that desire to be the "drum major"(17:50) Connecting sermon more
deeply ADHD & other neurodivergence — desire to fix wrongs;
impulsiveness, burnout, envy, rejection sensitive dysphoria(41:35)
When disability limits your ability to lead, serve, organize; turning
to smaller actions, deeper connections — Jesus never had a family,
house, college degree, other of our societal markers of greatness,
either(48:40) The Kingdom of Heaven is like pizza dough — small movements where you are; it will get where it needs to be on its own(58:50)
Closing with a song King quotes in his sermon: "If I can help somebody
as I pass along...then my living will not be in vain." -
Good News vs. Nice News
My Guest is Pastor Felix Weise.
Timestamps:
(0:00) Introducing Felix, good news vs. nice news, Greek evangelion
(3:30) Looking at verses using the Greek word ekpléssó — Jesus’ good news shocks and disrupts
(13:00) Complexities in the connection between German Church and State; Felix’s roles within the German Church
(22:00) Felix is on the inside, seeking to bring progressive theologies; Laura is on the outside, doesn’t feel safe in church settings where their very presence disrupts the “nice” environment
(34:00) Do you choose to join the church institution to have a platform, power, security — or fight from the outside, but struggle to get heard?
(38:30) More nice news — it’s not bad, but it’s not enough; compare to the theologies of the marginalized that deal with the hard stuff
(49:30) People with privilege also need liberation; the systems of power harm everyone, and “nice” news can numb us to that truth
(55:00) MLK, Jr., called out liberal white Christians who silence the oppressed to avoid discomfort; similar issue with assimilationist gays, respectability politics
(60:00) Keeping things “nice” won’t stop church membership decline; redefine success
(66:45 to end) Toxic positivity that makes us pretend all’s fine; Jesus wasn’t nice, but Jesus was kind -
I am not your Ornamental Prophet
After a long break I am joined again by my friend Michi for a rather whiney episode where I try to relate my own frustration about the role I get pushed into over and over again with no lesser leader than Moses. Special thanks go again to my friend Avery who edited this episode.
1:00 – 10:00 – topic intro – feeling like an ornamental hermit
10:00 – Moses readings: he can’t go with the people into the promised land; why not?
16:30 – “God is his closest kin now” – Moses is never fully of the people, distances himself from them; God breaks this to Moses: “You won’t find a resting place with them”
21:00 – Prophets are buzzkills, treated like liars even when they tell the truth; often not a choice, but a matter of survival
24:45 – struggle to unite other oppressed folks into the fight; may seem like you make their lives harder by reminding them of their own pain
27:00 – Rabbi Ruti Regan: Disabled people are either vilified or put on non-accessible pedestals, where they are non-threatening, lonely. Link to diversity training that doesn’t go farther than tokenism: platforms vs. pedestals
32:00 – Some people distance themselves from you not because they fear your differences, but because they fear to see what you actually have in common
36:00 – Queer parallels: fearing the flamboyance or femininity you might find mirrored in yourself; “I’m gay but not that stereotypical kind of gay”
40:00 – We must learn to face the prophets in our lives with love in order to reduce harm to self and others
44:00 – A prophet’s truth is good news that could liberate others for deeper community & self-knowledge, but it’s received as bad news because it disrupts; as in “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” many prefer a harmful delusion to a temporarily disruptive truth
57:30 - end – Inspiration porn & harmful autistic representation; Laura’s tired of being used for wisdom or inspiration without real connection
Website of Frank L. Ludwig who interprets fairytale characters as autistic:
http://franklludwig.com/
Essay about different important takes on Moses' "punishment":
https://www.rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation/chukat/why-was-moses-not-destined-to-enter-the-land/ -
Simon, You Rock! - A D ownright H yperactive D iciple
I know, I have announced and teasered this episode for probably over a year now... So, finally, here it is! Peter interpreted through an ADHD lense.
My friend Michi and I have had a lot of fun talking about our ADHD experiences, feeling for Peter and laughing at his and our own troubles with the neurotypical world.
I hope you'll enjoy this episode as much as we did. -
Joseph and the Amazing Original Neuroqueer Pride Flag - Part III
The last part of our Neuroqueer nerd indulgence. We talk about trauma, family, reconsiliation... sounds fun, right??
Timestamps:
0:00 - Summary of the previous two parts
2:00 - How Joseph’s brothers and father are suffering during the famine; they’d rejected the neuroqueer gifts that could have saved them
5:35 - Joseph forced to face their past trauma. Punitive vs. restorative justice — the latter requires a shift in power dynamics, security for the wronged
27:10 - Second trip to Egypt: Joseph continues to test the brothers to see if they’ve truly changed; struggles to hold it together while closeted / masking
35:15 - Joseph comes out, reveals their identity to their brothers. What prevented the brothers from recognizing them?
39:47 - What to make of Joseph’s understanding of “God’s plan”: Joseph takes control of his own narrative, sees how God transforms suffering into good. Celebrating the good that comes out of evil without justifying evil
50:20 - Even in reconciling, Joseph never goes home, back to the site of that first trauma & to dynamics where their brothers hold the power over them — connecting to church efforts to become truly inclusive
55:55 - not a tidy ending: relationship will never be the same; brothers struggle to believe Joseph doesn’t want revenge. “None of us has to be the slave!”
1:00:30 - the oppressed can offer oppressors insights about themselves; double consciousness & masking — the Autistic community’s debt to Black scholarship
1:05:35 - Joseph as a bicultural figure; both cultures associated both with home & trauma
1:07:58 - Jacob gives the primary blessing to Joseph’s second son: continuing the trend of subverting status quo. God always on the side of the marginalized
1:14:55 - Wrapping up -
Joseph and the Amazing Original Neuroqueer Pride Flag - Part II
Part II of one of our favourite topics: Neuroqueering Joseph!🐂🌾✨🎉🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Timestamps:
(0 - 7:52) Any power Joseph gains while enslaved is precarious; vulnerable to sexual harassment
(starting 7:53) Nevertheless, Joseph manages to thrive; marginalized communities take shunned spaces & make them sanctuary spaces
(12:47) Queer & autistic experiences abroad; the toll certain stereotypes take
(16:53) Meaning-making: God's presence in pain; Dreamcoat song emphasizes how human violence can't stomp out inner gifts
(21:36) Joseph & Pharaoh: the gift once feared is now revered; autistic tendency to disregard power dynamics
(38:34) This could be the happy ending: wife & kids, stability & appreciation -- reconciliation with brothers not necessary, but helpful
(42:19) Closing with more midrash about Joseph being a hottie
Related links:
https://wibbleywobbleyminds.wordpress.com/Joseph/
https://lifeisasacredtext.substack.com/p/queering-joseph