When Sally Became Harry and the Church Went OMG: Gen Z, Gender Identity, and the Christian Church

Abstract

In this investigation I review unobtrusive data sources that reveal those significant differences embodied in Generation Z (“Gen Z,” born after 1996), to help understand how their particular social, emotional, and ideological make-up align (or not) with the Christian faith. In doing so, my query and discussion focuses on several Gen Z distinctives which are discordant with traditional views of the person—gender and sex; self-identification vs assignations by social entities; religious ideologies; and other differences. How are these ideological positions, behaviors, gender and physical transformations in Gen Z being received by the Christian Protestant church? How is the church responding?  Christian parenting is also brought to the forefront in the discussion, as are their efforts at moving faith to the next generation. Such is contrasted with youth engagements by the church and its youth programs. Finally, I question whether our Christian anthropology is capable of opening wide enough to accommodate differences of intersex births and gender dysphoria, given its present orthodox theology and understandings of persons and bodies. This investigative discussion ultimately ends by suggesting the church ought incorporate Miroslav Volf’s “embrace” of the ‘other’ as it relates to Gen Z—our deepest challenge here: to love Gen Z without judgment, discipling and welcoming them into our congregations—they/them, and all.