This chapter was the hardest chapter for me to read. The vitriol and one-sided research were insufficient for something this big and consequential as talking about real people’s lives who are being adversely affected by this rhetoric that is turning into public policy everywhere. These are real human lives, and she talks so disdainfully. Transgenderism is a term she uses a lot in the chapter, and it is a term many are moving away from because it is not a thing. Preston Sprinkle, who Stuckey calls out in her chapter because he is now being “pronoun polite,” talks about why he is no longer using the term transgenderism. Since he was called out in her book, I will uplift his words in my substack post. Here is an excerpt from Dr. Sprinkle’s bio to introduce who he is—Dr. Preston Sprinkle is a biblical scholar, speaker, podcaster, a New York Times bestselling author, and is the co-founder and president of The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender.
Transgenderism has often been used in a way that’s impersonal, negative, and too sweeping. One of my trans* friends said: “Transgenderism is a nameless, faceless, personality-less enemy that’s easy to vilify.” It almost sounds like a disease, like something you might catch when your immune system is compromised. “Man, I came down with a bad case of transgenderism, but the doctor gave me some amoxicillin so I’m doing okay now.” That’s not what the word means, of course. But it’s certainly how it often feels when people use it.
Transgenderism is also the word of choice in the culture wars today. You have conservatism, liberalism, transgenderism, and all kinds of other -isms that are threatening your rights and waging war against your faith—so the narrative goes. But a 15-year-old suffering from severe Gender Dysphoria is not your enemy. Words like transgenderism might make for good ammunition when you’re going off to fight a culture war, but they’re often unhelpful for citizens of God’s kingdom who believe that the kindness of God leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4).
Dr. Preston Sprinkle is still growing and learning how to talk responsibly when he is talking about other people. That is what love does. Unfortunately, he still belongs in the non-affirming camp, as you may notice by the last sentence. I thought about not using his words, but then I thought if he is evolving and Allie Beth Stuckey called him out by name in her book because he is attempting to figure out how to advocate better for marginalized people—which is what I did before I was affirming—then I am going to lift him up and keep encouraging him in the work. I hope he finds his way to the affirming camp like I did. There is more love and life in friendship with people without trying to figure out if they get to be who they are. That is a terrible way to use the Bible. It is also a terrible way to live in a relationship—which is why all of our social structures are failing—including the church. Making any space a space about answers and being right is going to fail b/c that is not life. We are experiencing a pandemic of loneliness that is taking lives at the highest rate right now. Is the Bible about getting it right? Or about living in right relationship with God, creation, and each other? Not in a hierarchy but in a flow or a dance. That is how I imagine the Triune God. As fluid as our gender is. 💕
Reading the Bible holistically, you may, as I did, discover it as a human story that is always striving to learn how to include the outsider: the immigrant, the one who is doing it “wrong,” the poor, the women, the eunuchs, the poor fishermen, etc. It is a story about grace showing up and inviting the protagonist into a bigger story of inclusion and living a different way. When we use scripture that way, instead of deciding if someone’s humanity is okay to be used for God’s work, then I find scripture to be life-giving, soul-restoring, and thought-provoking. Even when I am disturbed. I think Scripture wants us to get disturbed by some of its stories. If we can face it in scripture and in conversation with one another, then we will be more prepared when we face it in our real lived reality, and we will be able to talk about it in real life too.
Have you noticed we are not doing that? Instead, we are fragmenting, becoming fractiles, losing our connection to ourselves, to each other, and to the Source that gives us life—God, Earth, Animals, the whole universe. M pastor Robin Meyers said last week we are on the brink of the death of consciousness.
Yes, we are. I have more to say in the video about the chapter. But I hope this post helps my friends who are exploring and considering living a new way. Rethinking is hard—and the more certain you have been, the harder the turn. Don’t do it all at once. Take it in baby steps. I am here, and I will not leave you. Just remember, those who receive forgiveness are the ones who know what love is and what love does. It is okay to be wrong, but it is not okay not to face it and not do the work of repair.
Share this post