Sex and Gender: Understanding and Responding to Contemporary Confusion

The last sixty years have seen a revolutionary change in attitudes to and laws around sex, sexuality, and gender identity in Western contexts. Now, the rainbow flag is arguably the most recognisable symbol of the West in the eyes of other regions. It is clear that there is much confusion, and many people are hurting. Christians often don’t know how to speak with compassion for those who struggle or lack clarity on these issues. This Master Class aims to help Christians understand and respond to our cultural confusion about sex and gender identity.

1. The Genesis of Gender: From Kindergarten to Academy and Back
What does science show about gender differences, causes, and the consequences of gender confusion? How did we come to think of gender as something separate from biological sex?

2. The Lie of the Land: Western Attitudes Towards Sex and Gender 
What ideas about gender identity are influencing children and young people in the West today? What are the underlying beliefs and values behind these ideas?

3. Design and Distortion: Sex and Gender in Creation and the Fall
What does the Bible tell us about God’s good design for what it is to be male and female and how the sexes complement each other? How has sin distorted this original goodness?

4. Putting Sex in its Place: Christ-Centred Thinking
What does Jesus Christ, a single, celibate man who lived 2000 years ago, have to teach us about gender and sex? What would obedience to him mean for our beliefs and behaviour?

5. Church for All? Prophetic and Pastoral Priorities
How should we speak to the world and relate to one another about sex and gender? How can our churches become places of help and hope for those who struggle in these areas?