Autism theology ‘from the outside in’: mapping the journey of autism theology from the margins to the centre

‘Autism’ is a word which can sometimes raise more questions than it answers within practical theology. While autism has existed as a diagnostic category for almost a century, the meanings we attach to it remain complex, multi-varied, and ambiguous. What do we mean when we speak of autism in theological contexts, and of whom do we speak? Most importantly, who exactly is doing the speaking? In this article, two authors, one neurotypical and one neurodiverse, explore contemporary theological approaches to autism, mapping the epistemological turn from theologies of autism on the margins to theologies of autism from the centre.