As a young Christian woman passionate about understanding how to serve God and others, I received mixed messages about what I could do in the world because I am female. One of my college professors encouraged me to get my PhD and return as the first female faculty member in their Department of Bible and Theology. Another professor said if I taught theology at the college level, I would be sinning, violating I Timothy 2:12, where the Apostle Paul commands women not to teach men but to learn in silence. Continuing my study in seminary, I was dissatisfied by both liberal and conservative theologians writing on sex and gender differences.
I wrote...
Sex Difference in Christian Theology: Male, Female, and Intersex in the Image of God
Ground-breaking volume integrating Christian Theology and intersex traits (also known as variations in sex traits, DSDs, Differences of Sex Development).…
This book is a great place to begin as it invites readers into the lives of a conservative Christian intersex person (Danny) and their conservative Christian friend (Cynthia), who worked with Danny to bring his story into the world.
Both of them share the difficulties of navigating challenges to their own belief systems and the painful struggles for acceptance in their conservative Christian families and churches.
Even though I’ve met many intersex people over the years and heard their stories, I couldn’t put the book down because I resonated with the challenge of living a life of integrity while also trying not to lose relationships with beloved family members and Christian friends.
" . . . the most compelling and informative account of the intersex experience that I have ever seen. This book is a triumph." —David Gushee, Professor of Christian Ethics, author of Changing Our Mind: The Landmark Call for Inclusion of LGBTQ Christians
Cynthia, an adjunct professor with a trunk full of ungraded papers and snack wrappers, has been an LGBTQIA+ ally for years—in convenient ways. She enjoys the company of her queer friends—but her support isn’t risky; it hasn’t cost her anything. Until she meets Danny. The youngest child in a conservative religious family, Danny played the role of…
I met Lianne while writing my dissertation on intersex people and Christian theology. Knowing her, her story, and her faith changed my life forever. We went on to collaborate in educating others about people born outside the male/female binary and eventually created a documentary to share her story and the stories of other intersex people of faith.
Sadly, Lianne passed away in 2021 during Covid. In Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite, Lianne offers her semi-autobiographical story of growing up intersex and Christian. Since her life story changed my life, I think it will change yours, too!
From the heart of an intersex teen, one who must ultimately choose male or female--family or true love--comes the story of a deeply emotional and perilous journey home. This is a young adult novel unlike any other--an authentic portrayal of the issues faced by a child growing up with a sexually ambiguous body.
Jameson can be like other boys after minor surgery and a few years on testosterone Well, at least that's what his parents always say. But Jamie sees an elfin princess in the mirror, and male hormones would only ruin her pretty face. For him to become the…
My first three book recommendations are by intersex people themselves because their voices have been silenced and unheard for too long. Allies like myself have a place in the conversation, but our platforms should always center the voices of intersex people themselves.
While this book is not written for a specifically Christian audience, the author did grow up Christian and is a strong contemporary advocate for protecting intersex infants and children from non-consensual surgeries on their genitals to make them “appear” more typically male or female.
By sharing her own experience, Pidgeon documents just how wrong these “well-intentioned” interventions can go and why doctor’s attempts to “fix” intersex traits should be outlawed.
From intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis comes a candid and life-affirming true story of identity, lies, family secrets, and the healing power of truth.
Pidgeon Pagonis always felt like their life was a constant attempt to fit in with other girls-a feeling that was only exacerbated when puberty failed to hit. They never understood why...until they uncovered the secret that had haunted their childhood.
Bouncing between their Chicago home and the city's children's hospital, Pidgeon weathered a series of traumatic surgeries, fabrications, and misdirections. It wasn't until college that Pidgeon pieced together the puzzle of their identity: they'd been born intersex…
Stories are powerful. They open us up to asking questions we might not have known or felt we could ask before hearing them. When conservative Christians are open to rethinking their beliefs on sex and gender, they need Bible scholars to help them make sense of their Christian faith as they have received it.
New Testament scholar James Brownson offers them exactly that, especially in the sections where he writes about sex/gender complementarity. When many conservative Christians learn about intersex, they often jump to questions of same-sex relationships and transgender identities.
Fifty-two percent of intersex people also identify as LGBTQ+. The connection between these issues is not a straight line, but for those who want to explore questions about LGBTQ identities and the Bible, this is an important volume.
Grapples conscientiously with biblical texts at the heart of the church's debate over same-sex relationships
This thought-provoking book by James Brownson develops a broad, cross-cultural sexual ethic from Scripture, locates current debates over homosexuality in that wider context, and explores why the Bible speaks the way it does about same-sex relationships.
Fairly presenting both sides in this polarized debate — "traditional" and "revisionist" — Brownson conscientiously analyzes all of the pertinent biblical texts and helpfully identifies "stuck points" in the ongoing debate. In the process, he explores key concepts that inform our understanding of the biblical texts, including patriarchy, complementarity,…
Susannah Cornwall is a leading scholar of intersex and Christian theology. She writes in the Anglican tradition.
This is one of her earlier books, which brings intersex experiences into conversation with the Bible, disability theologies, and LGBTQ theological perspectives. Cornwall's writings are essential for those willing to read beyond conservative Christian authors.
Mainstream Christian theology has valued the integrity of the body and the goodness of God reflected in creation. However, it has also asserted the complementarity of "normal" male and female physiology. Sex and Uncertainty in the Body of Christ offers the first systematic theology of the intersexed body.
The book analyzes the theological implications of physical intersex conditions and their medical treatment. The medical assumption of what constitutes male and female bodies is shown to raise essential questions about the meaning of incarnation and bodiliness. The book argues for a theology that speaks to stigmatized and marginal bodies, examining the…
Ground-breaking volume integrating Christian Theology and intersex traits (also known as variations in sex traits, DSDs, Differences of Sex Development). Many Christians believe God only creates (or wants) male and female, but Jesus speaks of those born between male and female, and Church history is full of references to those born with intersex traits. How have we lost this knowledge? How did ancient Christians know more about sex diversity than modern believers? How should the reality of intersex people—their presence in the Bible, throughout history, and today—impact the way Christians should think about sex and gender differences?
Written especially for conservative Christians, it is accessible to lay and scholarly readers alike and supported by detailed footnotes for those who want to continue learning.
Meet Lev Gleason, a real-life comics superhero! Gleason was a titan among Golden Age comics publishers who fought back against the censorship campaigns and paranoia of the Red Scare. After dropping out of Harvard to fight in World War I in France, Gleason moved to New York City and eventually made it big with groundbreaking titles like Daredevil and Crime Does Not Pay.
Brett Dakin, Gleason's great-nephew, opens up the family archives—and the files of the FBI—to take you on a journey through the publisher's life and career. In American Daredevil, you'll learn the truth about Gleason's rapid rise…
American Daredevil: Comics, Communism, and the Battles of Lev Gleason
Gleason was a titan among Golden
Age comics publishers who fought back against the censorship campaigns and
paranoia of the Red Scare. After dropping out of Harvard to fight in France,
Gleason moved to New York City and eventually made it big with groundbreaking
titles like Daredevil and Crime Does Not
Pay.
Brett Dakin, Gleason's great-nephew,
opens up the family archives-and the files of the FBI-to take you on a journey
through the publisher's life and career. In American Daredevil, you'll learn the
truth about Gleason's rapid rise to the top of comics,…
