Reading List- Transgender People and Christianity

A selection of writing by or about transgender people relevant to the General Synod Human Sexuality Briefing Paper about the House of Bishops Guidance on using the Affirmation of Baptismal Faith with transgender people, February 2019.

Althaus-Reid M. and L. Isherwood (Eds.) 2009. Trans/Formations. London: SCM.

Includes chapters by Susannah Cornwall, Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Elizabeth Stuart, Lewis Reay et al.

Beardsley, C., & M. O’Brien (Eds.) 2016. This is my body: hearing the theology of transgender Christians. London: Darton, Longman & Todd.

Part 1 includes chapters on medicine, scientific perspectives, social theory and theology, Part 2 the personal stories of transgender Christians.

Cornwall, S. 2010. Sex and Uncertainty in the Body of Christ: Intersex Conditions and Christian Theology. London: Routledge.

Chapter 4 considers ‘Theologies from Transgender’.

Dowd, C. & C. Beardsley with Justin Tanis. 2018. Transfaith: A transgender pastoral resource. London: Darton, Longman & Todd.

Based on in-depth interviews with twelve transgender Christians

Gilchrist, S. 2016. ‘A New Approach to Identity and Personality Formation in Early Life’ http://www.tgdr.co.uk/documents/218P-InfluencesPersonality.pdf

Gilchrist, S. 2017. ‘What does it mean to be Transgender?’ http://www.tgdr.co.uk/documents/242P-TransgenderIdentities.pdf

Hartke, A. 2018. Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians. Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press.

Aimed at a US audience this is a clearly written, well-argued volume.

Hornsby, T.J. & D. Guest. 2016. Transgender, Intersex, and Biblical Interpretation. Atlanta: SBL Press.

Scholarly exploration of the translation and interpretation of a range of biblical texts.

Mann, R. 2012. Dazzling Darkness: Gender, sexuality, illness and God. Glasgow: Wild Goose.

Autobiographical theological reflections by a Christian priest-poet.

Tanis J. 2003. Trans-Gendered: Theology, ministry and communities of faith. Cleveland, Ohio: Pilgrim Press.

World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care (SOC) Version 7 https://www.wpath.org/publications/soc

Yarhouse, M. 2015. Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture. Downers Grove IL: Inter-Varisty Press Academic.

Identifies three possible perspectives on trans people – the integrity framework, the disability framework and the diversity framework – exploring their merits and weaknesses.