Constructive Theology and Gender Variance: Transformative Creatures

432 Pages·2022·1.461 MB·English

by  Susannah Cornwall

Constructive Theology and Gender Variance
Some Christians are anxious and uncomfortable about gender diversity
and transition. Sometimes they understand these issues as a rejection of
God’s intention for creation. Gender diversity has also been assumed to
entail self deception, mental ill health, and dysphoria. Yet humans are
inherently transformative creatures with a vocation to shape their own
worlds and traditions. Transformative creaturely theology recognizes the
capacity of gender to shape humans even as we also question it. In this
book, Susannah Cornwall reframes the issues of gender diversity and
transition in constructive Christian theological terms. Resisting deficit
based discourses, she presents gender diversity in a way that is positive
andnon oppositional.Hervolumeexploresquestionsofthelicitlimitsof
technologicalinterventionsforhumanbodies,howgenderdiversitymaps
onto understandings of health, and the ethics of disclosure of gender
diversity. It also brings these topics into critical conversation with con
structive Christian theologies of creation, theological anthropology,
Christology,andeschatology.
susannah cornwall is Professor of Constructive Theologies in the
Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter and
DirectoroftheExeterCentreforEthicsandPracticalTheology(EXCEPT).
SheistheauthorofUn/familiarTheology:ReconceivingSex,Reproductionand
Generativity(2017),Theology and Sexuality(2013),Controversies in Queer
Theology(2011), andSex and Uncertainty in the Body of Christ: Intersex
ConditionsandChristianTheology(2010).
current issues in theology
GeneralEditors
IainTorrance
UniversityofAberdeen
DavidFergusson
UniversityofEdinburgh
EditorialAdvisoryBoard
DavidFord UniversityofCambridge
BryanSpinks YaleUniversity
KathrynTanner YaleDivinitySchool
Thereisaneedamongupper undergraduateandgraduatestudentsof
theology,aswellasamongChristianteachersandchurchprofessionals,fora
seriesofshort,focusedstudiesofparticularkeytopicsintheologywrittenby
prominenttheologians.CurrentIssuesinTheologymeetsthisneed.
Thebooksintheseriesaredesignedtoprovidea‘state of the art’statement
onthetopicinquestion,engagingwithcontemporarythinkingaswellas
providingoriginalinsights.Theaimistopublishbooksthatstandbetweenthe
staticmonographgenreandthemoreimmediatestatementofajournalarticle,
byauthorswhoarequestioningexistingparadigmsorrethinkingperspectives.
Othertitlesintheseries:
God’sPresence FrancesYoungman
AnIncarnationalModeloftheEucharist JamesM.Arcadi
TheProvidenceofGod DavidFergusson
ReadingtheBibleTheologically DarrenSarisky
DivineActionandtheHumanMind SarahLaneRitchie
LawandtheRuleofGod:AChristianEngagementwithShari’a
JoshuaRalston
HumanAnguishandGod’sPower DavidH.Kelsey
RethinkingPaul:ProtestantTheologyandPaulineExegesis
EdwinChr.vanDriel
HumilityoftheEternalSon:‘Reformed’KenoticismandRepairofChalcedon
BruceLindleyMcCormack
susannah cornwall
University of Exeter
Constructive Theology and
Gender Variance
Transformative Creatures
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For all those who seek to know fully, as they
are fully known.
For my godchildren, Iida, Martha, Elin, and James,
and for my nephew, Zach.

Contents
Acknowledgements page ix
part i setting the scene
1 Introduction: Transformative Creatures 3
2 Detransition, Impermanence, and the Innocence of
Changing One’s Mind 32
3 Existing Christian Theological Responses to Transition:
Being Transformed/Being, Transformed 60
part ii telling truths
4 Autonomy and Trans People: Authenticity,
Responsibility, Recognition 105
5 Gender Transition, Truth-Telling, and Artifice 139
6 Self-Protection or ‘Gender Fraud’? Ethics and the
Burden of Disclosure 162
part iii limits, technology, and health
7 Technological Interventions and Licit Limits: On the
Alteration and Augmentation of Bodies 185
8 Trans People, Health, and Diversities of Order 218
vii
contents
9 Fertility, Generativity, and Gender Theology in the
Optative Mood 251
part iv transformative creatures
10 Transforming Humanity: Gender, Race,
and Animality 281
11 In Christ, Everything Has Changed: Christology
and Creation 309
12 Transformative Creatures Reprised: Theological
Anthropology and Eschatology 335
References 367
Author Index 415
Subject Index 417
viii
Acknowledgements
ThisbookwasoriginallyintendedforaCambridgeUniversityPress
sister series, New Studies in Christian Ethics, edited by Robin Gill.
I am grateful to him for his encouragement and feedback early on
inthewritingprocess(andgenerousunderstandingwhenitbecame
clearthatthebookwasdestinedforamoreconstructive-theological
home),aswellastoIainTorranceforhisinvitationtowriteforthe
Current Issues in Theology series.
Ifirststartedconsideringthemesoftechnologyandtranshuman-
ismduringmytimeattheLincolnTheologicalInstitute,Department
of Religions and Theology, University of Manchester, in 2011–2013,
duringwhichtimeIwasprivilegedtoworkcloselywithPeterScott.
IamalsoindebtedtomyformerPhDstudentatManchester,Scott
Midson,towhomItaughtverylittleandfromwhomIcontinueto
learnalot.
Concentrated time to write this book was made possible thanks
to the trustees of the Sir Halley Stewart Trust, who funded the
Modelling Transgender Spiritual Care project during 2017–2019,
and the College of Humanities at the University of Exeter, who
awarded me a period of study leave in 2019–2020. Parts of the
writing of this book occurred under household isolation in
2020duringtheCovid-19pandemic,andthebookbearsthefinger-
prints of what happens both when crisis sharpens our individual
and collective minds and when there’s no longer any real division
betweenhomeandworkandapreschoolerwantstobewithyouall
of the time.
ix
acknowledgements
Ipresentedideasthathavefoundtheirwayintothebooktovarying
extentsattheBannanInstitute,IgnatianCenterforJesuitEducation,
Santa Clara University, California (2017); the OneBodyOneFaith
Extending the Table conference, Manchester (2018); the British
AssociationofGenderIdentitySpecialistsannualscientificmeeting,
Belfast(2018);theNHSEmployersDiversityandInclusionandLGBT
Alliancestakeholders’meeting,London(2018);theDioceseofExeter
spiritual accompaniers’ course, Exeter (2018); the University of
Winchester theological partnerships research seminar, Winchester
(2019); the Diocese of Llandaff continuing ministerial development
day, Ystrad Mynach (2019); the European Professional Association
forTransgenderHealth(EPATH)biannualconference,Rome(2019);
the Australian Catholic University Redeeming Autonomy: Agency,
Vulnerability and Relationality Seminar II: Autonomy and Urgent
Critical Issues, Rome (2019); the Estonian Sexual Health
Organization Conference on Sexuality and Belief in Estonia, Tartu
(2019); and the University of Cambridge Faculty of Divinity’s
ChristianTheologyseniorseminar(2019).Iamgratefultoallofthose
whoparticipatedintheconversationontheseoccasionsandparticu-
larly to the other participants and respondents at the Australian
Catholic University Redeeming Autonomy seminar: Theo Boer,
M. Shawn Copeland, Yves de Maeseneer, Jennifer Herdt, Kristin
Heyer, Anita Ho, Peter Howard, Christopher Insole, David
Kirchhoffer, Michael Mawson, Gerald McKenny, Diana Tietjens
Meyers, Shelly Rambo, Daniel Sulmasy, and Mathias Wirth, who
discussed and provided in-depth feedback on a draft of Chapter 4.
Morerecently,Ihavesharedmorepolishedportionsofthisworkwith
other audiences at the Theology and Religion research seminar,
UniversityofDurham(2020);theSocietyfortheStudyofTheology
annual conference (2021); the Gowland Lecture for the Science and
Religion Forum (2021; I am especially grateful to Rachel Mann for
being my respondent at this lecture); and the Systematic Theology
researchseminar,UniversityofAberdeen(2021).
x