Gender Fluidity Conference
“Can a person choose their gender?”
“Is gender established at creation or constructed by society?”
“Is gender a binary thing or is it a spectrum?”
These are just some of the many questions increasingly faced by every one of us in Britain in 2021. Understanding the complexity of those questions and offering both theological and pastoral responses is something churches will not be able to avoid for much longer.
We need to be able to critically engage with our culture, seeking to understand what is ‘going on’ in the world we live amongst, but also to think through our theology, seeking to understand what the Bible does (and doesn’t) say about these issues.
The Theology Network invite you to join with Christian leaders from across the Midlands at a two-day conference to explore the issue of gender fluidity with the help of two experts in this field.
Guest speakers
Dr Elaine Storkey is a Christian feminist, philosopher, sociologist and theologian who has published and taught widely on gender-related issues for over thirty years as well as working extensively in broadcasting, including being a regular contributor to Radio 4’s “Thought for the Day”.
Dr Ian Paul is an ordained Church of England minister, lecturer and theologian who runs psephizo.com, one of the most widely read Christian leadership blogs in the country, in which he has repeatedly engaged in gender-related issues over many years.
Both Elaine and Ian are informed academics who are also heavily involved in the church. It’s hard to think of two better people to have help us with these questions.
Conference format
The conference will take place over two days on Friday 15th October – Saturday 16th October 2021 at Chawn Hill Church, Chawn Hill, Stourbridge, DY9 7JD.
Friday 15th October
Time: 12pm-4:30pm and 7pm-9:30pm
Friday will include teaching sessions which focus on understanding where we’ve got to in culture, how we’ve got there and the issues facing the church.
Saturday 16th October
Time: 9:30am–4pm
Saturday will include teaching sessions that focus on the biblical anthropology of gender and what we can really say about these questions from a Christian perspective.
Both days will include panel sessions with Elaine and Ian where we will delve deeper into asking and discussing key questions around the issue of gender fluidity.
Questions being explored
Gender fluidity is a huge area of study and we only have two days to look at it. Therefore, attendees will be asked to send in their questions ahead of time to ensure that we address the real issues people are currently facing. Specific questions that will be covered include:
- Is gender something we can choose?
- Is gender essentialised (are we, with very few exceptions, either male or female) or is it a spectrum?
- Is gender something established in creation or something constructed by society?
- If men and women are created different, is it just about biology and reproductive systems?
- What are the theological and pastoral implications of transgenderism?
Who can attend?
The heart behind the conference is to serve the church by providing a safe place to explore this highly emotive issue with sensitivity and with the help of knowledgeable academic and theological experts.
The conference is open to anyone with an interest in this topic, however we strongly recommend church leaders, youth and children’s workers and church staff teams to book in and join us.
Whatever your opinion on the subject, we aim to provide a helpful and constructive environment in which to wrestle with this issue and develop well-informed and gracious responses to key questions about gender fluidity.
Book your place
Advance booking is essential and can be done online by clicking the link below:
In order to make the conference accessible to as many people as possible, there are multiple booking options:
- Whole conference – £40 (inc. lunch on both days)
- Friday all day (12-4:30pm & 7-9:30pm) – £25 (inc. lunch)
- Saturday all day (9:30-4pm) – £25 (inc. lunch)
- Friday afternoon (12-4:30pm) – £15 (inc. lunch)
- Friday evening (7-9:30pm) – £10
Lunch will be provided on both days and is included in the price unless otherwise specified.
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