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How a 17th Century Theologian Built the Blueprint for Modern Ableism

Disavowing Disability: Richard Baxter and the Conditions of Salvation

Andrew McKendry

Did you know that the modern concept of 'ability'—the one that judges who is capable and who is not—was shaped by a 17th-century religious debate? This video breaks down Andrew McKendry's groundbreaking study, 'Disavowing Disability: Richard Baxter and the Conditions of Salvation'. We explore how theologian Richard Baxter, in trying to make salvation available to everyone, accidentally created an 'ideology of ability' that still haunts us today. Discover how this historical shift turned disability from a universal human condition into a deviant exception, and how it laid the foundation for the 'capacity contract' in modern liberal thought. You'll see the uncomfortable links between Baxter's treatment of melancholy and idiocy, and the systemic exclusion of disabled people in today's society. This isn't just history—it's the hidden origin story of how we define who 'counts' as a full human being. Watch to understand the roots of a bias you never knew you had.