My Body Is Not a Prayer Request is a ground-breaking contribution by a disabled person. Amy Kenny calls the Church to disability justice giving access and inclusion to disabled people. The themes of the book are pithy one-liners such as “Disability is not a metaphor for weakness”.

Kenny outlines some of the cultural origins of ableism and shows how in literature and in popular culture the portrayal of disability is relentlessly negative. This causes people to see the healing miracles in the Gospels as hope for disabled people. But according to Kenny “disability is a gift, teacher and blessing in scripture and life” and there is a much broader interpretation. Moses, Jacob and Paul all had impairments and their disabilities played a role in redemption: Jacob with his dislocated hip and Paul blinded on the road to Damascus.

Disability justice is described as “all bodies must move together to thrive, so no person is left behind.” This emphasises the relationship between bodies and people rather than perfection being within an individual.

Kenny’s analysis of ableism, biblical commentary, lived experience along with her witty use of language makes some complex (and confronting) ideas accessible to readers. As a disabled priest this book rings true to my lived experience.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 277 December 2022: 27