Did God Assign My Gender? A Theological and Pastoral Consideration of the Gender Movement
1. Did God Assign My Gender? A Theological and Pastoral Consideration of the Gender Movement…Some of the most complex and novel questions of our day revolve around the topic of gender identity. Especially as more young people express a desire to transition genders, and the influence of the gender movement extends from entertainment to education, it’s crucial Christians have a robust understanding of the movement’s beliefs and practices on the one hand, and a compassionate and biblical sense of how to engage friends or children expressing confusion on the other. Those who believe in God the Creator and the goodness of His Creation must hold out a vision of gender identity that runs along the grain of creation—the nature of the body—, as well as a view of transformation that aims along the arc of redemption—the resurrection of the body.
The Rev. Sam Ferguson is the rector of The Falls Church Anglican in Falls Church, VA. Along with pastoral experience working with individuals and families navigating questions of gender identity, Sam has done extensive research in the area of anthropology in Early Judaism (MPhil, Cambridge University) and the New Testament (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Seminary), published a work in this field, The Spirit and Relational Anthropology in Paul (Mohr Siebeck, 2020), and is currently working on a book on the topic for Crossway Publishers. His desire is to see the church well equipped to articulate the Bible’s compelling vision of gender as a gift from God to be stewarded, and also more deeply engaged in the issues of discipleship and formation this conversation raises.