What is it about?
The chapter deals with questions such as the extent to which gender contributes to forming the identity of a human being, or to put it theologically, the human being as the image of God created in God’s likeness. It also discusses the part in what is constitutive for humanity from a theological point of view that is played by biological, cultural, social, and religious factors contributing to differences in gender identities and roles. And finally it looks at how the understanding of what is constitutive is reflected in our understanding of the acceptability of gender-oriented relationships and unions.
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Why is it important?
In the public debate opposing views on homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality and on the different forms of bonds and relationships steming from such identities claim to be Christian or anti-Christian. The chapter brings these issues in discussion with both traditional and contemporary texts on human dignity, freedom, relational responsibility, and mercy. It explains grounds of the legalistic and of the pastoral approaches to the themes, and offers possibilities for an irenic discussion in areas where knowledge is only gradually being formed.
Perspectives
Both the co-author and I felt that such chapter needs to be in a contemporary book on theological anthropology. Writing it was a long process taking us to more and more complex issues. I am very grateful for our conversations along the way, and also that we managed to complete the text of a reasonably short length.
Ivana Noble
Univerzita Karlova
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A Theological Perspective on the Question of Gender, November 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004741799_014.
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