While transgender and non-binary identities are increasingly visible, too many Christians have either maintained a fearful silence, or have attacked 'transgenderism' as a threat to Christian faith and practice. More serious theological reflection is needed, not least of all in the Roman Catholic tradition. Moreover, the Catholic context presents particular challenges that are relevant beyond the Catholic world, due to the Church's widespread involvement in healthcare provision and education, and its traditions of thought around these activities.

This volume considers the various questions to do with trans people in the life of the Church from an interdisciplinary, Catholic, ecumenical perspective, reaching out to academics, clergy and educated lay readers. It brings together perspectives from a variety of disciplines to provide a rigorous, wide-ranging engagement with these pressing issues; and includes a number of trans contributors, making their voices present in these discussions, which are about them, but from which they are often excluded.

The first three chapters illustrate the development of Catholic thinking on transgender issues in recent decades. The second section of the book considers transgender identity from multiple perspectives: canon legal; legal; sociological, clinical; bioethical; and educational. The last two chapters of the second section shift the focus in the direction of theology and pastoral practice, themes that are explored by emerging theological scholars in the third section of the book.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Transness and the Church Today (Nicolete Burbach, London Jesuit Centre, UK)

Part I - Transness Catholic Moral Theologians in Dialogue

1. Gender Identity in Scripture: Indissoluble Marriage and Exceptional Eunuchs (D.A. Jones, St Mary's University, UK)

2. Truth in Transition? Gender Identity and Catholic Anthropology (D.A. Jones, St Mary's University, UK)

3. Catholic Ethics and Trans Identity: Embodied Persons and Gender Dynamics (Lisa Sowle Cahill, Boston College, USA)

4. Treating Persons with Gender Dysphoria in Catholic Health Care: Catholic Teaching Interpreted and Applied (Peter J. Cataldo, Providence St. Joseph Health (retired), USA)

Part II - Personal and Pastoral Experiences

5. Trans-formation (Fiona Bowie, University of Oxford, UK and Oliver Davies, Kings College London, UK)

6. Concrete Steps Towards Pastoral Care for Trans and Nonbinary Christians (Shannon T.L. Kearns, Empathy Into Action Foundation, USA)

7. LGBT Inclusion in UK Catholic Schools (George White, St Paul's Catholic School, UK)

8. Being Trans, Being Present: Another Way for Trans Catholic to 'Reach Out', and for Cisgender Catholics to 'Reach Out' Back (Nicolete Burbach, London Jesuit Centre, UK)

Part III - Interdisciplinary Resources

9. Heartache: A Study of the Emotional Impact of Sex/Gender Transition on Familial Intimates (Claire Jenkins, Margaret Beaufort Institute, UK)

10. Evidence Base for Treatment of Gender Dysphoria? (Norella Broderick, Health Service Executive, Ireland)

11. A Criminal Tribe: Looking Back at the Impact of Eliminationist British Anti-Hijra Campaign in India and Discerning Its Echoes Today (P.J. Johnston)

12. All things to all peoples? Some Anglican responses to gender diverse people (Christina Beardsley, St John's Church, UK)

13. Gender and Metaphysics: Judith Butler and Bernard Lonergan in Conversation (Benjamin Hohman, Boston College, USA)

Part IV - Transness and the Church Tomorrow

14. Transgender Bodies, Catholic Schools, and a Queer Natural Law Theology of Exploration (Craig A. Ford, Jr, St Norbert College, USA)

15. Meeting the Monster: On Hearing Transgender Rage (Nicolete Burbach, London Jesuit Centre, UK)

Christianity

Christian liturgy, prayer books, christian religious life

Further readings in religion

Christianity (charity campaign)

Christian liturgy, prayer books, christian religious life (charity campaign)

Further readings in religion (charity campaign)

Trans Life and the Catholic Church Today