Gender Essentialism and Orthodoxy: Beyond Male and Female

Gender essentialism has become increasingly polemical in contemporary orthodoxy, with debates over feminism, sexual orientation, marriage, family, adoption, and care of transgender individuals. This study offers an interdisciplinary critique of gender essentialism in the contemporary Orthodox Church, drawing on patristic reflections, personalist theological anthropology, gender and queer theory, and modern biological understandings of human sexual differentiation. It concludes by discussing theological implications related to the ordination of women, same-sex unions, sacramental understandings of marriage, definitions of family, and pastoral care for intersex, transgender, and nonbinary parishioners.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 09 June 2023
Publisher: Fordham University Press

Over the past generation, debates over sex and gender within contemporary orthodoxy have intensified significantly. These discussions have expanded to encompass a wide range of topics, including feminism, sexual orientation, the sacrament of marriage, definitions of family, adoption of children, and care for transgender individuals. Preliminary responses to these issues are influenced by gender essentialism, the belief that male and female are ontologically fixed and incommensurate categories with distinct sets of characteristics and gifts for each sex. These categories then shape gender roles in the family, church, and society.

Gender Essentialism and Orthodoxy provides an in-depth critique of gender essentialism within the context of the contemporary Orthodox Church, influenced by the "Paris School" of Russian émigré theologians and their followers. The book employs an interdisciplinary approach to engage with patristic reflections on sex and gender, personalist theological anthropology, insights from gender and queer theory, and modern biological understandings of human sexual differentiation. Despite these seemingly disparate discourses, Gender Essentialism and Orthodoxy uncovers surprising points of convergence, as each line of thought rejects a strict gender binary in favor of more inclusive possibilities.

The study concludes by exploring theological implications of the findings presented throughout the book. These implications relate to key issues such as the ordination of women to the priesthood, same-sex unions, and sacramental understandings of marriage. They also touch upon definitions of family, pastoral care for intersex, transgender, and nonbinary parishioners, and the broader challenges and opportunities faced by the Orthodox Church in navigating these complex and evolving discussions.

In conclusion, Gender Essentialism and Orthodoxy offers a thought-provoking exploration of gender essentialism within the contemporary Orthodox Church. By engaging with a range of interdisciplinary perspectives, the book provides a valuable contribution to the ongoing dialogue on sex and gender within religious traditions. Its findings offer insights into the complex interplay between gender, sexuality, and religious belief, and have the potential to shape future discussions and practices within the Orthodox Church and beyond.

Weight: 424g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781531501532