The Genesis of Gender

One of the core identifiers of Catholicism is the philosophy that the Church is both true and beautiful. Through the sacraments, the rich liturgies, and through our sharing of faith to the world, the themes of both truth and beauty are always intertwined. In her  book, The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory, Dr. Abigail Favale continues this tradition, weaving the threads of both truth and beauty together in a harmonious way in her examination of what has become known as the gender paradigm, an ideological explanation of human genders, divorced from biology.

Not only does she effectively compare and contrast the gender paradigm to the classic Christian cosmological paradigm of Genesis, but she examines the very framework of secular feminism in its essence and gently directs those caught within it to the truth and fullness of the Catholic view of sex and gender. Dr. Favale writes like a warrior on an infallible steed named Catholicism, wielding the double-edged sword of both truth and beauty, at once piercing through the hearts of the false ideologies of misogyny and secular feminism.

The Genesis Cosmology

In this timely work, Dr. Favale makes not only the gender ideologist, but also the Christian reading her work, think critically. The words that spill onto the page from her mind are incredibly vivid and nuanced where nuance should exist. For example, in the beginning of the book she discusses her formerly evangelical worldview and how the dynamic between the sexes exists in that religious culture as well as her experience with secular feminism.

Typically in evangelicalism (and more recently finding its way into some Catholic circles – unfortunately) the fallen view of the power struggle between men and women is viewed as originally ordered in creation and not a consequence of the fall. Reading this book as an ex-evangelical myself, the particular part where she elaborates on her evangelical experience was correct and relatable. Some evangelicals go as far as espousing things like marital rape and financial or physical abuse (1). And some Christian women believe this type of dominance to be good and true (2). These ideas, of course, are abhorrent. According to this type of worldview, a man reigns over his wife as if she were his child or concubine and not his equal. In this paradigm, men and women are viewed as polar opposites.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have secular feminism, which correctly acknowledges that there is disharmony between men and women but lacks the truth about the fall of mankind and the human person and the grace that restores the relationship between the sexes back to original harmony. Because of this, feminism, which started out as a movement to restore balance, lacks the restorative grace it craves and deviates on its understanding of the nature of the human person at the very foundational level. Instead of believing genders are polar opposites, feminists take the opposite view that the genders are interchangeable. Over time, feminism has descended into a circle of madness which, at its core, returns and perpetuates the same power struggle it originally wished to vanquish.

Dr. Favale brings the correct, biblical view of the intended relationship between men and women in her chapter on the creation account titled “Cosmos”. In it, she writes:

He (Adam) immediately recognizes, in the silent declaration of her (Eve’s) body, that she is both like him—more like him than any other earthly creature—and not like him. Their difference is complementary, but asymmetrical; this is not a mirror image or polar opposite. She resembles him in their shared humanity….but differs in the feminine form of her humanity. Genesis affirms a balance of sameness and difference between the sexes. This is a delicate balance that is difficult, but necessary, to maintain. (pp. 88-89)

Sex Is Metaphysical

Not only does Genesis of Gender draw from the lives and works of saints and doctors of the Church, such as Catherine of Siena, Athanasius, and Hildegard of Bingen, but it is rich with notes and references from contemporary sources who have written about the gender paradigm from a Catholic perspective, such as Flannery O’Connor, Edith Stein, John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, and Pope Francis’s Laudato Si.

Dr. Favale reinforces what each of these sources have to say about the human person. For one, we are created in God’s image. Secondly, we are created by love, for love. Thirdly, we are created male and female, and fourthly, we are created uniquely corporeal and spiritual, body and soul. Dr. Favale uses these truths to examine the gender paradigm which says the opposite; namely, that we create ourselves to be whoever we want to be, that gender/sex is a social construct and not an ontological or actual reality, and that our gender is not tied to our bodies, only our minds.

One philosophical aspect that I really enjoyed in the book was Dr. Favale’s rich knowledge of Aristotelian teleology. She poses the important question: What is a woman? And addresses various objections that she hears, answering that femaleness is based on the whole person, including biology.

Other Objections

She answers the following common objections in response to a woman being defined as a biological female with particular DNA and reproductive organs: What if a woman can’t have children, is she still a woman? What about women who have hysterectomies? Are they still women then? In her response to the questions above, Dr. Favale puts forth an interesting and true answer to this question rooted in Aquinas’ terms of potentiality and actuality.

Thomas Aquinas discussed potentiality and actuality in his cosmological arguments for God’s existence. According to Aquinas, everything material around us is constantly changing. The said changes are distinguished from potential and actual. Before a material thing comes into existence, it must have the potential to be made into reality before it can actually exist. Aquinas argues that such things cannot go on forever because there had to be a First Mover to bring about the first change into reality, there had to be pure actuality to create the potential for potentiality, i.e., God (Summa Theologiae, I.Q2.A3).

In this view, God is pure act, without any change at all, but because humans are both material and spiritual beings, our nature is tied to potentiality. This occurs through the unitive and procreative act. Favale makes this connection to the nature of a woman when she writes:

What about infertile women? What about postmenopausal women? What about women who’ve had mastectomies and hysterectomies? What about women with a Y chromosome? Potentiality solves this problem. A woman is the kind of human being whose body is organized around the potential to gestate new life. This potentiality that belongs to “femaleness is always present, even if there is some kind of condition, such as age or disease, that prevents that potential from being actualized. (Genesis of Gender, 302-303)

Speaking the Truth in Love

Although throughout the book Dr. Favale is firm in her emphasis on the importance of recognizing the dignity of human life, one particular part of the book reveals Favale’s true faith and love for Christ. She tells the stories of both Christians and non-Christian individuals who are either transgender or who have de-transitioned from that state. Although she is factual about the surgeries and the turmoil these individuals have faced in their journeys, she is sure to emphasize that we should treat people who have gender dysphoria – and people trying to discover who they are – with love and compassion.

This is especially true if we believe our faith to be true. Favale demonstrates that secular feminism is an intellectual ideology that requires an entire worldview change. In order to show truth in love, it’s essential to treat these individuals as more than empty-headed anarchists.

Favale writes that “Conversion is a steady pilgrimage, a long trek into the heart of God. It is one that requires accompaniment. When we think of our everyday conversion as Catholics this rings true. Our conversion is every day.” If you’re a convert (like I am) then this rings true also. My conversion didn’t happen overnight, it was a process, and an entire change of world view brought on by the Holy Spirit. We need to remember this when we have these types of discussions with people about the gender paradigm.

We can speak the truth in love without making people feel like they cannot turn to God. I have a close relative who is transitioning away from identifying with his biological sex.  What makes our relationship strong is our long talks we have, often about God. He is a human being who desires to be known and loved by God. During these talks I don’t badger him or hit him over the head with theological truths, I provide answers when he asks me about them. I simply discuss God’s goodness and open the floor for discussion about the Church through the lens of God and His love.

Sometimes I notice that some Christians have their respective pronouns in their social media bios. To someone who is repulsed by the gender ideology, this may cause a knee jerk reaction. However in a way, these people are actually affirming what Dr. Favale speaks about in her book in regards to truth in love. These Catholics are both affirming that they are willing to accompany those who espouse the gender ideology by loving them in a communal sense while also affirming the truth of the whole person reflected in their sexuality and simultaneously honoring the Church’s teachings on sexuality.

In Conclusion

This book was long needed, and I would recommend it over and over again. It would be especially beneficial to people who want to understand the intellectual aspects of secular feminism and the gender paradigm but who need more education.

Dr. Favale traces the whole history of secular feminism and gives insight beyond the typical range of knowledge Catholics have on the subject. She also provides a thoroughly theological treatment of the correct view of sex and the creation of mankind.  The book is packed with insight, original references from both the gender paradigm and Christian thinkers on the subject. Favale weaves together objective facts with a balance of charity, vivid writing, and humor. Make Genesis of Gender your next book to read; it comes at a time when the Church needs it.

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NOTES:

1) https://biblicalgenderroles.com/2015/10/03/7-ways-to-discipline-your-wife/amp/

2) https://thetransformedwife.com/was-this-truly-marital-rape/