How Christians can think biblically, act wisely, and relate lovingly over transgender issues.
Part of the Talking Points series.
There’s been huge cultural change in the last few decades. Same-sex marriage would have been unthinkable 20 or 30 years ago. Now it’s almost universally accepted in the Western world. Now suddenly the issue of transgender is the next big social, cultural issue that has dominated the headlines.
Vaughan Roberts surveys the Christian worldview and seeks to apply these principles to the many complex questions surrounding gender identity. This short book gives an overview and a starting point for constructive discussion as we seek to live in a world with different values, and love, serve and relate to transgender people.
Talking Points is a series of short books designed to help Christians think, talk and relate to others with compassion, conviction and wisdom about today’s big issues.
Introduction
1. Culture
2. Compassion
3. Convictions: Creation
4. Convictions: Fall
5. Convictions: Redemption and Glory
6. Wisdom
Further reading
Contributors | Vaughan Roberts |
---|---|
ISBN | 9781784981969 |
Format | eBook |
First published | September 2016 |
Language | English |
Publisher | The Good Book Company |
In this brief book on a complex subject Vaughan Roberts combines the traditional Christian understanding of gender and the body, with a very careful, loving, understanding stance toward transgender people. The two almost never go together, and that’s why this book is so good!
‘Transgender’ is short, accessible, and yet theologically robust and emotionally sensitive. It answers many of the questions Christians may have, equipping them to speak clarity into the confusion. Every church should have this on their bookstand.... continue reading
Transgender is an essential read for anyone wanting to get to grips with this important issue. Accessible enough to be read by a youth group; deep enough to provide a helpful starting point to church leaders, parents, teachers and others … It’s not the last word on the matter, but it’s a great place to start.... continue reading
Roberts’s book offers a helpful summary of what the church should be saying about transgenderism and gender identity.... continue reading
As a mental health worker who frequently works with teens and young adults, it is no surprise that I get to spend time frequently with some who question their gender identity, as culture encourages young minds to do. This book will be a strong tool in the hands of parents, educators and church leaders as we equip ourselves for challenging conversations to influence others to imitate Christ - not culture. Our culture has pushed such a measure of individualism and what we "create" ourselves to become, that we've often missed the great value that the Lord CREATED us with in our identity as His masterpiece.
This book is a great starting resource for anyone who wishes to get a proper perspective on the issue of transgender people in the huge perspective of God's plan for eternity. People who pick this book up may have a loved one who identifies as a sexual identity other than their sex assigned at birth. Prayerfully reading this resource is a great place for Christ-followers to get into a right frame of mind ahead of stumbling through conversations that may be harmful if we don't approach them with wisdom and Godly insight. So get some sticky tabs and a highlighter ready as you will want to come back to some powerful framing of this issue.
I'm ordering a few more copies to have handy on my office shelf.
This book opened my eyes to an area that was foreign to me before; and it did so in a biblical way; which I am truly grateful for; to understand someone in order to share the love of God with them is very important; and because of the "plain language" information shared within these pages, I feel so much more equipped to do so. Thank you!
A really brief helpful book for Christians wanting an introduction to transgender from a biblically orthodox stand point.
It's not evangelistic/apologetic (and isn't trying to be) so I wouldn't give it a non-Christian.
I was clueless about Transgender. The issue was forced on me when a young person in our Christian community came back from Uni as a transgender person. This book, for me, was a great place to start.
The book is clearly written, informative and balanced, without being too long or complex
If, like me, you have an interest in the whole lgbt issue, then this book on gender dysphoria or transgenderism will provide a basic introduction. It traces the issues as to why transgenderism is growing and challenges the worldly reaction that either says yuk or yes. I am sure, like me, the initial reaction is yuk, partly because it is so obviously at odds with what God has created. But Mr Roberts makes the very real Biblical point that just as true believers are trophies of grace, so we should see unbelievers as targets of grace and not as yuk. We really can be gracious without condoning the sin and we must remember that for all of us, our sins (whatever they are) separate us from God. We also need to realise that very soon (if not already), lgbt people will come into our churches, get saved and start to grow in Christ. We have to be there to help them in their journey towards greater Christlikeness.
This is a wonderful book to lay out clearly key ideas about the topic of transgender. I would recommend this book to everyone.
The author spend most of the pages promoting idea of "body over soul" and comparing racism, species confusion to transgenderism. The author confused between transgenderism and LGB, he attempted to mis-inform the reader. In chapter 2, the author put the blame on technology development. He uses a very bad example of racism, equates it with species confusion, and brought the topic further to transgenderism. This is a tactic trying to create confusion among readers who are unfamiliar with the topic. The author only started to discuss about the Bible in chapter 3. The author further suggest on what the reader should do. Therefore, this book is not a thought provoking book, but a manual according to what he believe as "what the Bible says". Lastly, the author expressed about his concern that his freedom of speech are pretty much suppressed. However, this phenomena happened on both sides, pro-LGBT Christians were suppressed in most of the chruches and in most of the circumstances too. It was a great dissapointment that the author only mentioned about the Eunuchs once in his book. This is clear that the author doesn't give a fair discussion and biblical information to the reader on the great debate of transgenderism and the Bible. As a conclusion, this is not a helpful book for Christian, but a manupulative book.
This book is an excellent intro into the topic of transgenderism from a christian and a solid biblical perspective. One little point of disagreement but other 99,9% brilliant. I think it is a very informed and biblically sound booklet.
A very readable book with concise and thorough Biblical and theological content. However I felt it was less helpful on matters pastoral and practical.