Sharon James has written several books and spoken at conferences around the world. She studied history at Cambridge University, theology at Toronto Baptist Seminary, and has a doctorate from the University of Wales.
Christians are regularly being confronted with the idea that gender is fluid. As we meet with those who identify as a different gender to their sex, this short but insightful book ensures we are informed about the issues concerned and what the Bible teaches about these. Philippa Taylor, former head of public policy with the Christian Medical Fellowship, and consultant on bioethics with CARE, writes of this material, ‘…handled in an accessible, respectful and compassionate way, which will leave the reader with greater confidence in the truth that we have all been created male or female’.
‘Gender Ideology’ in my opinion really does cover all that ‘Christians Need to Know’ on this subject, and my review is therefore comprehensive. The book is also peppered with real life illustration and very well sourced, citing organisations, briefings, books, studies and newspapers. I would highly recommend it:
Introduction: ‘Behind the “Good News” stories–and why it matters to you’
James begins with a purportedly ‘good news’ story in the media of a six-year-old girl identifying as a boy–a ‘transgender kid’–who declared this at an LGBT event. She describes how such stories are presented as ‘good news’ and how we are supposed to respond: ‘That’s wonderful. An unhappy little girl has been transformed into a happy little boy” (12).
The reality is that many people who have ‘changed sex’ have sunk deeper into unhappiness. James relates Walt Heyer’s story. She describes Walt’s troubled background and how he wanted to be a female. When he was forty-two, he had surgery and began taking female hormones. He changed his name to Laura. However, he admitted this was not true healing; he knew he was not a real woman. He became a Christian and realised he couldn’t change what God had created him to be. He describes how he made the decision to go back to being a man:
Coming back to wholeness as a man after undergoing unnecessary gender surgery and living life legally and socially as a woman for years wasn’t going to be easy. I had to admit to myself that going to a gender specialist when I first had issues was a big mistake. I had to live with the reality that body parts were gone…a sad consequence of using surgery to treat psychological illness…But I had a firm foundation on which to begin my journey to restoration.…I was ready to become the man I was intended to be (13).
Heyer now runs a ministry to help those who end up regretting their so called ‘sex change’ treatments.
James asks why this matters to you and me. She highlights how activists within international bodies such as the World Health Organisation, the United Nations and the European Union have been promoting ‘gender theory’ for some time. They are getting their message out to children by means of a ‘comprehensive sexuality education’ (15).
Gender theory says we have a ‘gender identity’ which is independent of our biological sex; ‘We may feel we are male, female, neither or something else’. Some Christians have bought into the idea. Those who protest are accused of ignorance. Parents who want to protect their children from this theory may find their children taken away from them (15).
Chapter 1 ‘The Global Sexual Revolution’
In this chapter, James highlights how, by 2018, twenty nations had passed laws affirming the ‘right’ to ‘change sex’, including the UK. Some think they are exempt, since it affects a very few (19), however these laws ‘affect us all’. Although recognition of man-woman marriage has been foundational to human societies since the dawn of time, gay-rights activists claim it’s hateful to believe that man-woman marriage is ‘normal’, They denounce this biological truth as ‘homophobic’, ‘binary’, ‘oppressive’ and ‘cis-normal’. These skewed understandings are finding their way into legislation (21) where you can potentially lose your job for merely disagreeing, and be penalised for using ‘the wrong pronouns’. (See https://christianconcern.com/cccases/jennifer-melle/ and also my ‘Letter to my MP’–under ‘Leaders and Ministry’–about the dangers of the UK’s proposed Conversion Therapy Ban).
James also makes the point that these ideas are ‘flying in the face of biological reality,’ (See also 50, 69-72). The biological male/female distinction is hard wired into nature. The very definition of our biological sex is binary–either male or female–and this fact is encoded into every single one of our trillions of DNA-containing cells. There are extremely rare cases of ‘intersex’ where babies are born with genitalia that are damaged or ambiguous. These exceptional cases have, effectively, been hijacked by activists (21). However, transgender is not the same as Intersex (the ‘I’ in LGBTI). Intersex is a physical condition affecting a minute percentage of people whose chromosomes, genitals or gonads do not allow them to be distinctively identified as male or female. In the past this has been regarded as a physical disorder (just as other physical abnormalities are departures from the norm). The great percentage of these do not identify as transgender, but either as male or female (See also 32, 33).
Chapter 2 ‘“Can we Really Change Sex” and Other FAQs’
James describes how it is impossible to ‘change sex’ since you can only change appearance. The xx or xy chromosomal pattern is set at conception. Surgeons can construct artificial genitalia, but these have no reproductive capacity (34, 35).
This chapter has a helpful exploration of ‘gender dysphoria’. This is where a person is unhappy with their biological sex and believe they would be more themselves if they could live as a member of the opposite sex. It traces the move in recent years away from treating this condition as a mental disorder (where someone’s feelings contradict the physical reality of their bodies, such as people with anorexia nervosa) to an identity to be celebrated (27). Health professionals are expected to go along with this development. In some countries counselling is prohibited even when a person with transgender feelings really wants help (30). Gender dysphoria is part of a wider postmodern outlook.
Jamie Franklin’s excellent The Great Return highlights how postmodern thought is opposed to truth, and transgenderism is ‘fundamentally postmodern in outlook’:
In its most simple form, it says that there is an objectively existing ‘sexed’ body and a subjectively existing ‘gender identity’.… The reality of the situation is, of course, that there is only one objective and true component to this anthropology, which is that every human being has an objectively existing body with a biological sex.…In transgenderism, we have seen the triumph of the postmodern notion that ‘my’ truth should subjugate that of objectively existing actual truth. (The Great Return. Why Only a Restoration of Christianity Can save Western Civilisation Jamie Franklin, p283).
True gender dysphoria is very rare, but the number of people (including children) claiming to have it is rising rapidly with its widespread promotion (31).
Chapter 3 ‘What is “Gender Theory”?’
James looks at the false claims of Gender Theory: that ‘binary is bad’, ‘gender is a spectrum’, ‘boy/girl and man/woman are just social constructs’ and ‘we all have a ‘gender identity’ which may be different from our biological sex’ (40-43). It looks at ‘The Gingerbread Person’ a cartoon figure commonly used to teach children and young people that each person is made up of different aspects of each gender (39) and how Gender Theory uses a misleading vocabulary (43-46). This introduces a sinister note; a news headline declares ‘Woman Rapes Fellow Prisoners’ the truth is ‘This is a violent man, who has claimed to be a woman’ (46, 47). The chapter looks at further lies and contradictions within Gender Theory (47-50).
Chapter 4 ‘Where did “Gender Theory” come from?’
The author explores how the West has imbibed the teachings of the sexual revolution (see Chapter 1); that everyone has the right to fulfil themselves sexually just as they please (54). A person’s desires are their orientation; James posits that this is a linguistic device which conveys the idea that some behaviours are due to fixed inborn identity. But there is no scientific evidence to support this concept (54). She looks at the lives of ‘Eight Pioneers of Sexual Revolution’ who have led us to this place; Karl Ulrichs, Sigmund Freud, Magnus Hirschfeld, Alfred Kinsey, Harry Benjamin, Wilhelm Reich, John Money and Robert Stoller (55-60).
James then explores how Cultural Marxism (Critical Theory)–the narrative of oppression– has converged with the sexual revolution and resulted in ‘the current dogma of identity politics’ (61).
Identity politics perceives a hierarchy where there are the ‘privileged oppressors’ (white, educated, ‘cisgender’, able bodied males) and the marginalised (due to racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia). The latter are is the ‘victims’. Those who have been enlightened about the plight of the victim class are ‘woke’ (i.e. ‘aware’) (64). These victim groups can claim to have been offended, regardless of whether there’s any objective ground for their claim. This can even be from hearing a sermon or reading a Bible text. They can demand a visiting lecturer be banned from a campus, or a university group be disaffiliated.
Identity politics/gender theory is a real threat to freedom. As it is integrated into national legal and educational systems, laws are spawned to silence dissent. In Canada, Bill C-16 became law in June 2017. Any questioning of a person’s claims to identify as the opposite sex can be classed as ‘hate speech’. Penalties can be exacted from any who ‘mis-gender’ others. Well known academic Jordan Peterson has opposed this development. Classifying free speech as ‘hate Speech’ is also a worrying development in this country (https://christianconcern.com/comment/why-the-cofe-was-wrong-to-report-synod-member-for-hate-speech/ ).
James ends this chapter with these words: ‘All this poses a direct challenge to religious freedom. It threatens to silence churches and parents who seek to teach the biblical truth that “male and female He created them.”’ (68).
The second half of James’ book begins with a robust biblical challenge to transgenderism:
Chapter 5 ‘Male and Female–by Design’
James notes that the creation of man and woman is the crowning achievement of God’s Creation, God saw that it was ‘very good’ (Gen.1:31). The Genesis account ‘makes it clear that God deliberately created man and woman with significant differences’ (73).
Their bodily union had the potential to ‘beget other humans, made in their image’.
God ordained man-woman marriage for all peoples at all times:
‘So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.’ (Gen.1:27).
‘Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’ (Gen. 2:24).
The creation design is both assumed and affirmed by Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:4-6), and by the apostle Paul (Eph.5:31).
James goes on to describe ‘God’s Good Design: Ruined, Redeemed, Restored’ (74). Here she notes ‘When there is gender confusion…it is a tragic outworking of living in a world “groaning” because of the effects of sin’ (Rom.8:19-22). (See my articles on Holiness, especially ‘Holiness Part Two: The Nature of God’ under ‘Exploring Theologically’.)
However, Christ came into the world to ‘reverse the effects of sin.’ She goes on to say ‘that Christ’s love for His people, His Bride, the Church, is the cosmic eternal reality (Eph.5:25-32). God’s creation of man and woman and His design for man-woman marriage is a signpost pointing to that greater reality.’ (75)
But the good design is being demeaned. Gender ideology downplays the significance of our physical bodies, and says our subjective feelings are more important. Here James highlights the old heresy of Gnosticism (76). A heresy that ‘divides your thoughts from the physical reality of the body’.
To earth this observation James cites the case of a violent criminal who, in 2018, was placed in a female prison because he ‘thought’ he was a female. He subsequently abused female prisoners. (A three-year study of transsexuals at Charing Cross hospital Gender identity Clinic in the 1980s found that over half of the male-to-female patients and about one third of the female-to-male patients had criminal backgrounds (77, note 11). Modern day Gnosticism also shows itself in the following exchange: a young woman when asked if she would be happy sharing a changing room with someone with a male body replied “There are many forms of the human body. I see someone in their soul and as a person. I do not really care whether they have a male body” (77). Again, a false gnostic divide between body and soul (78).
Gnosticism divides what God has united. He made us whole people. Our body, our mind, and our spirit or soul are not to be divided or played off against each other. God designs and determines our bodies (Ps. 139:13-14; Jer.1:5). God created male and female as different and interdependent beings (Gen.2:18; 21-24), and He prohibits the blurring of gender identity (Deut. 22:5) (78).
Here James also exposes the false distinction between biological life (the physical body) and personhood. This false distinction is also used to justify abortion and euthanasia.
According to James, this worldview–the rejection of the good design (80)–means that there is now an epidemic of young girls seeking to ‘bind’ their developing breasts in a vain effort to deny their blossoming womanhood. Even worse, some young girls demand the surgical removal of perfectly healthy breasts. It is the worldview that leads to young men trying to ‘tuck’ (conceal) their genitals and demanding female hormones in an effort to suppress their manhood. Tragically, some young men demand surgical removal of their genitalia; a non-reversible mutilation of the human body (81).
James identifies ‘the demand for absolute personal freedom’ which does not have to answer to God or to anyone else, an insistence that we are free to choose our own identity and make our own rules. ‘Once we deny that there is a God whose character and decree defines what is right, then we deny that there are moral laws that are true for everyone (82). James traces how the end point of current ‘expressive individualism’ is absolute independence. This is the rejection of God’s good design. People demand the ‘the human right’ to reproduce by themselves and to be recognised as ‘non-binary’; for each individual to in effect be both man and woman. This is rejection of God’s design for complementarity and a defiance of the creation order. It is the opposite of God’s design which ensures that in family and community we need one another (82).
James goes on to describe how this outlook has given rise to a false gospel. Instead of conviction of sin, forgiveness and being remade in God’s image to reflect His purpose, we have, ‘Be whoever you want to be! You can do what you want! You don’t have to feel guilty…you don’t have to fear judgment’ (83). Similarly, these attitudes are leading to ‘Compromise in the Church: The Culture of Limitless Self-Regard’ (83-85)
Instead, James calls us to ‘stand firm’ (85). To stand firm on the foundation of God’s revealed will ‘so clearly expressed in both general and special revelation’. She makes a careful distinction here: ‘We need to distinguish between people who are caught up in this confusion and are suffering greatly, from activists who are lobbying for transgender rights.’ Those suffering must be treated with respect and compassion. However,
‘Activists for trans rights are not just wanting toleration for a small minority of troubled people. They want to endorse a false ideology on everyone else. They want to change the way we speak, and the way we and our children think. This is a unique form of intolerance. We are told to address men as if they are women, women as men, or people who demand it as ‘non-binary. A new faith is being imposed by force.” (86).
James finishes this chapter by stating that transgenderism is an attack on humanity’s being made in the image of God, it is therefore an attack on God Himself, and an assault on the authority of His Word. She states, ‘That is why this is a conscience issue for many Christians’. Christians should not be bullied or pushed into going against their God given conscience and so speak words that are untrue, rather we must stand firm.
Chapter 6 ‘The “Transgendering” of Children’
I found this the most disturbing chapter because James reveals that ‘children are being used as pawns by gender activists’ (90).
Some children do exhibit ‘gender-nonconforming behaviour’ from an early age with regard to clothing, playmates, interests and so on. James points out that children with autistic traits can be more susceptible to this and have been encouraged to transition (91).
But here is James’ key observation: Puberty resolves childhood gender confusion. When children do genuinely experience discontent with their biological sex, this resolves itself in up to 90% of cases if puberty is allowed to take its course. If you allow testosterone to kick in for boys, and œstrogen for girls, in the vast majority of cases gender confusion is resolved (92 93).
Under the influence of transgenderism some countries have prescribed puberty suppression drugs to children (at ages 10-13) who exhibit gender nonconformity. These drugs were first used to block puberty in the Netherlands in 2001. There have been no long-term clinical trials and children may demand their parents allow them to request such drugs (93). A study conducted at the Tavistock Clinic in London found that no patient taking puberty blockers later desisted (from transitioning) – whereas 90.3% of children who did not take them did later desist (94).
James next explores “Rapid-onset dysphoria”. There is an increase in this phenomenon in recent years, particularly among girls. James cites Littman’s study who found that those ‘experiencing ROGD tended to either belong to a group of friends in which multiple, or even all members became transgender-identified around the same time, or that they were immersed in social media, or both.” (95, 96).
James explains how a peer group (real or virtual) fosters the mutual belief that unhappiness is caused by being ‘transgender’. Young people with feelings of self-hatred are exploited by the commercial promotion of products such as breast binders. Online pressure identifies parents who resist such demands as ‘transphobic’ and Christians are ‘bigoted’. There is cult-like encouragement to cut ties with biological family members who do not endorse transitioning. They are told that those who aren’t allowed to transition are likely to commit suicide. Worried parents may be terrified into acquiescence, and say, ‘I want a happy daughter, not a dead son’ (96). At around the age of 16, ‘cross-sex’ hormones may be given. Girls may be able to have a double mastectomy (removal of breasts) (97).
James cites a study against the suicide claim and the misleading statistics involved (96, 113). In fact, it’s those who transition that are often more likely to commit suicide. She also describes testimonies on social media that testify to the lasting physical and emotional harm of these measures (97).
James asks why there is so much confusion (98) and identifies the following factors: the sexualisation of the culture (99-100); family breakdown with fewer stable models; and children being encouraged to construct their own special identity (100-102).
James goes on to highlight how our education system is indoctrinating children and young people into transgenderism (102-107). Sexual ‘liberators’ demand the right to teach other people’s children about sex. Comprehensive sexuality education assumes that children and young people have the right to sexual pleasure. There’s just one moral standard: the giving of consent. Such ‘education’ leads to experimentation. It is not surprising that in 2017, in one girls’ secondary school in London at least a third of the girls in the Sixth Form aged 16-18 had engaged in same-sex (sexual) relationships (103). The rest of this section describes other disturbing examples of this indoctrination. Children should be educated and not confused at schools (106).
A transgender activist has admitted the public are generally unsympathetic to a transgender male, but sympathies are changed if people believe in the ‘needs’ of a transgender child–so children are targeted (107, 108).
This chapter ends by practically examining the question, ‘What can parents do?’ (108-114).
Chapter 7 ‘How Should We Respond? – A Call to Respect’
In this chapter, James summarises much that has gone before under the following headings: respect human dignity (116-118), respect the ‘ecology’ of humanity (118-119), respect the vocation of doctors to ‘do no harm’ (119-120), respect the vulnerability of children (120-121), respect the rights of parents (121-122), respect the privacy and safety of women and girls (122-123), respect free speech (123,124), respect the testimony of those who regret their transition (124), respect truth (125) and respect our Creator God (125-126).
Postscript
James’ book was written in 2019 and reprinted in 2022. She wrote when transgenderism was accelerating at pace. It is still promoted through the media, and Government policy–regardless of political party in this country–has continued to endorse it.
Mercifully, however, there has been a recognition within wider western society of the dangers posed by this movement, many of which are highlighted in ‘Gender Theory’.
The first major kickback against transgenderism and the ‘Woke’ movement in general, has come from the United States. The White House website declares that under Donald Trump’s administration ‘The president will establish male and female as biological reality and protect women from radical gender ideology.’ (https:www.whitehouse.gov). Trump signed Executive Orders accordingly at the beginning of his second term of office in 2025. The Orders include ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.’ (February 5, 2025), ‘Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 schooling.’ (January 29, 2025) and most specifically ‘Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.’ (January 20, 2025). Interestingly one of these Orders is entitled ‘Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias.’ (Federal Register. National Archives. 2025 Donald J Trump executive Orders.)
On the 16th April 2025 the UK Supreme Court ruled that in the context of the Equality Act 2010, the legal definition of a woman refers to biological sex, meaning a person assigned female at birth. This means that, for the purposes of the Act, a trans-woman with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) is not considered a woman. The Court also ruled that Sex is binary. Consequently, organisations must revisit their policies (https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/supreme-court-rules-trans-women-biological-sex-vxqt9b722).
These are encouraging developments. The sub title of James’ book, However, reminds Christians of what they need to know. Her conclusions need to be adhered to by Baptist Ministers in their teaching on Christian families and Church ethics.
