Called to Communion What is Gender?
Nov 17, 2025
Discover a deep dive into the nature of gender, exploring its biological and cultural distinctions. Reflect on Martin Luther's impact on the Reformation, and the Church's response to the issue of clergy abuse. Learn about compassionate strategies for ministering to mentally ill individuals and the importance of empathy. The conversation also tackles how to effectively engage with Jehovah's Witnesses and addresses concerns about the implications of AI on humanity. A thought-provoking discussion that challenges both faith and intellect.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Gender As A Modern Social Category
- David Anders traces modern 'gender' as a novel social category distinct from biological sex, originating with Simone de Beauvoir's idea that one "becomes" a woman.
- He notes grammatical gender differs from biological sex and that contemporary gender ideology treats gender as an autonomous, intuition-known category.
How To Determine Biological Sex
- Determine biological sex by physical morphology, reproductive capacity, or simple DNA testing when needed.
- Treat atypical cases (injury, intersex) as deficits or special cases rather than evidence gender is primary.
Convert During Scandal
- David Anders became Catholic during the height of the Boston abuse revelations and was disturbed but not deterred from converting.
- He joined the Church for union with Christ and the sacraments despite clergy failures.
