Gender Theory (original) (raw)

The Vatican Opinion on Gender Theory

The Linacre Quarterly, 2020

This article is a reasoned response to the article by Timothy F. Murphy, recently published in the prestigious journal Bioethics, on the supposed opposition between the views of the Catholic Church and what he calls “contemporary science” in relation to certain anthropological issues linked to the gender perspective. To point to “the Vatican” as anchored in an unscientific and anachronistic position, using the term contemporary science to which he attributes a unanimous representation of current scientific thinking on the subject is, in our view, unfounded and completely unacceptable. In his reflection, he does not adequately distinguish between intersex and transgenderism, two clearly different realities with different needs. The author defends the obsolescence of the binary sex/gender model that, in his view, “betrays human sexuality.” Furthermore, he does so without providing a plausible justification or a definition of human nature that is able to support the plurality and indet...

Introducing the Category of Gender to Roman Catholic Theology - a Liberal Approach

This contribution 1 outlines the status quo, the basic difficulties, and the implications of the category of gender being introduced to traditional Roman Catholic theology. In contrast to the anxiety the introduction of gender has provoked in official documents of the Catholic Church, my contribution aims to emphasize the positive inspiration which goes along with this new hermeneutical and analytical category, seen from a liberal feminist point of view. It entails the rediscovery of the meaning of the vulnerable body and the need for the protection of its integrity as a universal starting point for cross-cultural and inter-religious dialogue. Reflecting upon gender 2 , sexuality, and the human body is still a risky endeavor in Roman Catholic theology. The introduction of the category of gender began in the 70's of the last century, when feminist theologians developed an alternative vision for the flourishing of both men and women, taking women's oppression in society and ...

An Introduction to the Philosophy of Sex and Gender

"One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman. No biological, psychological, or economic fate determines the figure that the human female presents in society; it is civilization as a whole that produces this creature."(Beauvoir 1989, 267) This talk will introduce some of the recent philosophical work concerning sex, gender, and the relations between these two concepts. Not only is this work interesting, it also provides a good example of what exactly contemporary philosophers do, and how this differs from the way that scholars in other disciplines (sociology, medicine, history, economics, etc.) might study these same topics. To begin with, it will help to get a rough idea of what idea we will be talking about.

Gender and "Gender Ideology" in the Catholic Church: A Synodal-Sociological Exploration (In Forthcoming Book 2025: :Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation)

Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation , 2025

Applying the inductive synodal approach and sociological perspectives, this chapter aims to sociologically unpack the so-called "gender ideology" in the Catholic Church by distinguishing the fundamental differences between the Church's philosophical-theological understanding of gender, sexuality, and gender theory and those of sociology and the social sciences. It aims to find a common ground in understanding gender between the Church's moral magisterium and the social sciences and attempt to update the traditional moral approach in the spirit of Pope Francis's synodality and inductive theology. It argues that the synodal-sociological approach offers a new hope for the Church to achieve a more empirical, inculturated, and nuanced view of gender and sexuality in the contemporary world despite Francis's strong opposition to "gender ideology."

Chapter 6 Gender and "Gender Ideology" in the Catholic Church (In Book: Ballano, Vivencio O. 2024. LGBTQI Inclusivity, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church: Pope Francis’s Synodal Theology, Sociology, and Moral Issues. Singapore: Springer Nature)

LGBTQI Inclusivity, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church: Pope Francis’s Synodal Theology, Sociology, and Moral Issues, 2024

Applying Pope Francis's synodal theological approach and sociological arguments, this chapter aims is to analyze the Roman Catholic Church's understanding of gender and the complex concept of "gender ideology" as well as the role of gender, ideology, gender theory, and feminist gender theory in sociology and the social sciences. It argues that the adoption of a strictly metaphysical approach to morality based on natural law theory in the Church is a primary factor in marginalization of the LGBTQI community in the Church. It clarifies why the current church moral teachings sideline the positive aspects of gender theories in sociology and feminism. It recommends an interdisciplinary synodal dialogue between Catholic moral theologians and sociologists to reconcile conflicting views on gender and gender theory.

Chapter 4 "Gender Ideology's" Alleged Threat to Humanity: A Critical Sociological-Synodal Analysis (In Book: Ballano, Vivencio. 2025. Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation. Singapore: Springer Nature)

Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation. Singapore: Springer Nature, 2024

This chapter sociologically unpacks the Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" and its alleged imminent threat to humanity's survival in light of Pope Francis's latest ecclesial reform project called the Synod on Synodality and inductive synodal theology. It argues that the concept of gender, as espoused by sociologists, feminists, LGBTQI leaders, and gender activists, does not inflict actual and imminent harm to humanity, but only constitute a serious challenge to the Church's traditional, metaphysical, and philosophical view of sex, gender, and gender complementarity based on the Thomistic natural law theory. Gender ideology is a strong moral panic among members of the Catholic hierarchy against sociological and feminist gender perspectives and only a labeling of gender theory as an ideology.