Review of Christina Beardsley and Michelle O'Brian "This Is My Body: Hearing the Theology of Transgender Christians" (London: Darton, Longman, and Todd Ltd., 2016) (original) (raw)
Related papers
Changing sex? : transsexuality and Christian theology
2006
This thesis is an interdisciplinary study about the nature and causes of transsexuality and an attempt to formulate a Christian ethical response to it, a subject which has until now received no extended academic attention from a Christian perspective. There are two aims. The first is to examine what the Christian theological tradition has to say about transsexuality. The second is to explore what the experience of transsexual people has to say to the Church, and to the formation of its theology and ethics. It is a survey of the evidence for the existence of transsexuality prior to the twentieth century when it was first recognised and described. It explores the experience of transsexual and some transgendered people in Britain today. It pays particular attention to their encounters with and within the Church. It investigates how those transsexual and transgendered people who profess Christian faith use the Bible and relate to the Christian tradition as they attempt to understand their condition better, and try to come to terms with the theological issues that this process of reflection raises-an example of 'ordinary theology'. It then examines what the Bible and the Christian tradition themselves might have to say about transsexuality, and about those same far-reaching issues, which include the significance of the human self, of embodiment and of sex, gender and sexuality. It draws in particular on the foundational theology of Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen and Gregory of Nyssa and on the writings of four contemporary theologians: Lisa Sowie Cahill, Elaine Graham, Susan Frank Parsons and Rowan Williams. At the heart of the study are seven detailed case studies of transsexual or transgendered British Christians, but I also draw upon a personal engagement with around twenty-five others over a period of almost thirty months.
The Sacredness of the Self, of Society and of The Human Body. The Case of a Transgender Pastor
I shall discuss in my paper the case of a Finnish transgender pastor who in 2008, at the age of 54, underwent sex reassignment surgery. The pastor’s decision to change sex and become a woman gave rise to heated debates within the Lutheran Church as well as in the media. Shortly after returning to her work as a pastor, she decided to resign from her office for she felt that she has lost the trust of her colleagues and congregation. This case raises important questions about the meaning and perceptions of the body and gender of a priest. Drawing on history of religions, anthropology of religion and the cognitive science of religion, I will discuss it from the perspective of marking boundaries between the categories of the self, society and the human body. In my interpretation, it is transgender pastor’s anomalous taxonomic status within the normative Christian categorical thinking that creates awe and fear and thereby poses a challenge to conventional theological notions. The discussi...
Transgenderism and Christianity: What to do with the body
In 2015, most Americans had never had a conversation about transgender issues. By later that year, the topic had become cause célèbre in America and on the world stage, one "claiming the mantle of civil rights." 1 Now, as both a hot-button political issue and a common topic of discussion among the general populace, transgenderism is unavoidable. To that, the church should say, "good." It seems that perhaps now more than ever society is beckoning for open discussion on gender and sexuality, and the discussion is not only happening outside the church but also within. This is an opportunity for the church to speak.
2019
The church does not have a comprehensive, multidisciplinary public policy on the emerging spectrum of gender identities, yet there is extreme interest. Transitioning transgender people may become estranged from their families, yet, there is a paucity of research investigating this problem. This paper based on the literature review of my doctoral research explains how transsexual people's bodies, lives and identities cause controversy within families and raises many ethical and foundational concerns for the church. Discussion suggests how these issues might be held in tension with discerning pastoral care of all intimately involved.
Introduction: Transness and the Church Today
Trans Life and the Catholic Church Today, 2024
The introduction for 'Trans Life and the Catholic Church Today' (ed. Burbach and Cahill, T&T Clark 2024) This essay explores the contours, perils, and possibilities of the Catholic Church's encounter with transness. I begin by looking at the way this encounter has been shaped by trans history, using this context to highlight and make sense of certain disconnects in the Church's approach to transness, as well as unexplored commonalities with trans liberationism. Next, I consider the risks of injustice in any rapprochement between the Church and trans people, and situate the volume's project in light of this. After reflecting on the contents of the book, I conclude by drawing from Pope Francis' eucharistic theology of evangelization to glimpse a sign of hope amidst our current situation.
The Catholic Church is worried about transgender young people in its faith schools a concern set within the context of extreme media (social and traditional) interest . An informed understanding about what is happening is required by those involved in the pastoral care of children and contemporary families. This paper addresses the issues by discussing what is known about transgender people's sexual bodies and gender identities and shows the complexity of these indeterminate matters. Transgender people raise many ethical and foundational concerns for the church but these might beneficially be held in tension with discerning pastoral care of these people within the context of their families. Finally it is proposed that such an approach will allow God's compassionate intentions for the families affected to emerge.
Religious Studies Review, 2017
leading to the rise of the term "spiritual care"; and (2) evidence-based medicine, forcing chaplains to measure their impact so as to determine value-for-money. Regarding the term "spiritual care," Swift notes that this shift is, to some extent, in name only, as chaplains are still required to be endorsed by some religious community. Still, the term "spiritual," however vague, is certainly broader than the term "pastoral," which has unmistakable Christian connotations. The central contribution of this book is that it draws on the author's considerable experience as a chaplain, as well as his advanced education, to offer findings and insights on an understudied area. This book is highly recommended.