New Testament scholar NT Wright responded to a complex question about transgender identity and Christian faith during a recent episode of his “Ask N.T. Wright Anything” podcast.
The episode, co-hosted by fellow theologian Michael F. Bird, featured a female listener who identifies as a man and described herself as a “lover of Christ.” The listener had undergone an elective hysterectomy and lived as a man for a decade.
“I came to Christ after having gone through all the hormone surgery and living as a man for 10 years,” the listener explained. “Often when I hear people who were transgender then became a Christian, it’s a story of them de-transitioning to be their natural born gender.”
She added that such narratives often feature individuals “at the beginning steps of their transition and can easily, so to speak, revert back,” asking, “What would the Bible have to say about someone in my case?”
Despite having no desire to de-transition, the listener expressed concern that her current way of living might be sinful.
Bird acknowledged the complexity of the topic, noting, “Biology is very complex. A lot of things can go wrong with our biology. Things can also go wrong with our psychology. And the link between them can also be very, very complicated.”
Wright added, “That whole discourse is very new,” referring to modern ideas around gender identity. “We have to remind ourselves that this is not something for which the older manuals of theology, ethics, et cetera would have prepared us.”
The 76-year-old noted that current conversations often emphasize internal feelings over biological realities, explaining, “People have gotten used to thinking in terms of, ‘Never mind what my body is or how I was physically born, what matters is who I feel deeply within myself I really am.’”
Wright clarified that while he has served as a pastor in many complicated situations, he has not personally counseled someone wrestling with gender identity.
“So what I’m going to say is cautious and very much aware that there are enormous sensitivities around this issue,” he said.
The Surprised by Hope author also warned against the politicization of such matters. “There are people who are capitalizing on the discomfort of some people in order to make, as it were, political points — and some who would say that all gender is entirely fluid and you can make up … who you want to be and how you should behave.”
In addressing the biological aspect, Wright pointed to the distinction between chromosomes and identity: “Females quite clearly have XX chromosomes; males have XY chromosomes. So I’m assuming that our correspondent still simply has XX and hasn’t somehow, through hormone treatment, acquired a Y chromosome. I may be wrong, but I don’t think that’s an option.”
“I’m not a scientist,” he said. “I do not understand the biology, nor how the hormones work.”
Nonetheless, Wright returned to a theological perspective grounded in grace. “Again and again, I want to say, as with Jesus in the Gospels, God meets us where we are and loves us as we are. That’s absolutely vital.”
“Grace enfolds us in the love of God,” he said. “Then when we are enfolded and know that God is with us, then God may want to say to us, perhaps through a wise pastor, through our own voice of conscience or in prayer or whatever, now, there are certain ways forward that you now need to travel.”
The theologian emphasized that this process is not about condemnation, stressing, “It’s not to say, ‘Oh, you’re wicked. Oh, you’re a sinner. You shouldn’t be doing this, that, or the other.”
“It’s to say, ‘Well, where we are now is quite complicated, and let’s see how we can move forward step by step knowing that the God of grace and love is with you.’”
Wright cautioned that saying “God is with you” does not mean affirming all past choices uncritically. “This is not an ‘anything goes’ question,” he said. “God wants you to be a genuine, fully flourishing human being.”
When asked whether God can love and accept someone in this condition, Wright responded, “I want to say absolutely yes. That’s basic to the Gospel and all that it’s about.”
He referenced the story of Zacchaeus in the New Testament, whose life was transformed after an encounter with Jesus. “Sometimes, that transformation is very slow and very subtle. Sometimes, it’s quite vivid and instantaneous,” Wright said.
He also emphasized the importance of finding “pastoral help on hand, wise, discerning, prayerful pastoral help” to navigate the way forward.
“It will not be easy,” he acknowledged, “but I do believe that there will be a way forward … so go with it. Go with your pastor. Go with the love of God surrounding you in Jesus and the Holy Spirit breathing in and through you in all that lies ahead.”
A recent episode of The Christian Post podcast “Generation Indoctrination” delved into the harrowing experiences of individuals who have undergone body-deforming trans procedures, only to regret their decisions and pursue detransitioning. It also highlighted the crucial role the Church plays in helping those struggling with gender dysphoria.
One young man, Forrest Smith, revealed how, at the age of 20, he was prescribed cross-sex hormones and, over the next five years, underwent a series of irreversible body-mutilating surgeries, including breast implants and a double orchiectomy, which left him permanently sterilized.
Smith reflected on the initial diagnosis of gender dysphoria at a gender clinic, highlighting the swift medicalization of his identity without addressing underlying issues such as pornography addiction and a lack of male guidance in his life.
"I would say, I was kind of pushed and pulled into the medicalization before I hadn't nailed down the identity," he said.
Smith also weighed in on the hurt he endured from the progressive church he attended that twisted Jesus' words to affirm his gender dysphoria.
"I still deal with interactions with that former community, and I can tell that I'm judged; I feel pretty shunned. I've had visits from the community in the past where they make strange little comments where they're trying to correct me," he said.
Despite the severity of his ordeal, Smith found solace and direction through the guidance of a Pentecostal pastor whose approach to healing was rooted in non-judgmental support and spiritual reflection.
"I was really in a place where I wanted to turn around," he said, highlighting the importance of repentance and the pastor's ability to guide without casting judgment.
