From Belonging as Supercrip to Misfitting as Crip: Journeying through Seminary

Abstract

Using personal experiences, this paper examined the desire to belong and the disruption of coming out crip in theological education. While schools and churches strive to be places of belonging for disabled students, clergy, and members, there remains a need to misfit in order to crip our practices, theologies, and pedagogies. My crip becomings disturbed how I presented myself and continues to disturb my motivations and methods of leadership. I draw on Rosemarie Garland-Thomson’s concept of disabled “misfitting,” a feminist materialist notion of disability and Robert McRuer’s concept of “coming out crip” to disrupt the conceptualization of belonging that dominates disability theology and theological education. This paper expands conversations that churches and seminaries are having around ableism, racism, colonialism, and other dehumanizing constructs and related practices. This paper is a call to witness and celebrate cripped/misfitted becomings.