By Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post.
Princeton Theological Seminary hosted a controversial conference last week to explore so called “gender fluidity” and how people are “forging new gender identities” outside the norms of male and female.
Titled “Gender Benders: Theology and Gender Fluidity,” the multi-day conference was presented by the seminary’s center for theology, women, and gender last weekend.
The center’s Director, Jacqueline Lapsley, said in a statement last month that “[g]ender identity is a topic of great interest today, especially for young people.”
“They are questioning the gender binaries — male and female — and some are forging new gender identities in accordance with their self-understanding,” said Lapsley.
Also a professor of the Old Testament, Lapsley told The Christian Post that there is “a great deal of scholarly discussion these days about gender fluidity, and about how gender is constructed and experienced.”
“The prevalence of these discussions, coupled with concern over the violence perpetrated against persons who do not identify with the gender binaries, led us to hold a conference to explore this topic a bit more,” said Lapsley.
The conference lacked any speakers who might be critical of the so called gender fluidity notion, an omission that Lapsley told CP was intentional.
“The ‘orthodox/traditional’ view on gender, i.e., the gender binary, is pervasive in our society. It is widely known. The purpose of the conference was not to hold a debate among contesting views, but to hear from voices traditionally silenced,” explained Lapsley.
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Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Carmen is not the only PTS graduate who is embarrassed! May God help us!
Indeed! Think how Archibald Alexander, Charles Hodge, and Benjamin Warfield would feel about it!
As a Princeton alum, Princeton has seen its last donation from me.
There is really nothing new under the Sun. At Pittsburgh Seminary in 1980 I had to sit though a theology class taught by a chain-smoking female in leather pants, who when not taking another drag, would opine on the virtues lesbian sexulity.
The 10, 11 PCUSA related seminaries, throw them in the hat with other post-Christian theological institutions. They all have three things in common. -They have run out of things really to say. So they go for the “shock value”, political stunts to draw attention to themselves. At PTS the play “Vaginia Momolougues” were offered by the same group as a theological event as well. -They continue to recruit for simple economic, warm bodies in the seats, methodologies. And continue to pump out M.Divs. for jobs and careers that no longer exists. -The more they say, do, publish, do in terms of “continuing ed”, the less and less, they actually serve their church.
I am so proud of my alma mater, Princeton Theological Seminary! While retaining a reverence for God’s Word in every way, they also strive to recognize and understand the world in which that Word is proclaimed. I have observed the constancy of this faithfulness over a lifetime of 71 years, including 47 years of active ordained ministry in the PCUSA. You are so mistaken, if you imagine otherwise.
The Rev. Reford B. Nash
Norton, Ohio
ABD, Princeton Theological Seminary
If it weren’t for the endowment built by McCord and Templeton, PTS would die.
Since Gillespie’s graduation, successors to titular leadership have been mostly syncretistic as well as confessionally anemic and Biblically defiant.
I remember a conference call with Tom and the early leaders of the Confessing Church Movement. He told us to stay in the franchise because we don’t want the apostates to get the Foundation.
But what does it profit a person to gain…yet lose…?
Shame on the P, trustees, faculty, and…
Of course, an associate of mine once said, “The most dangerous people are those with no shame.”
So sad.
I think of Sproul who often said/wrote, “Pray for mercy; but don’t pray for justice…because you may get it.”
The folks behind this kinda insult to the holiness of our Father can continue reimagining Jesus and Holy Scripture…and then get on their knees and thank Him for His prayer on the cross, “Father, forgive them…they’re ignorant!”
I don’t know the number; but since Gillespie ended a line of faithful Ps, I hear more and more and more alumni who share the sentiments of the five previous comments.
“Oh, Princeton, stoning…”
What adolescent pablum passing as intellectualism….amazing how incredibly smart the people that think up programs like this think they are…and how totally juvenile they sound….
It was with a with a heavy heart that we left our PCUSA church, after almost 40 years, a few years ago. I am a layman without theological degrees. However, this conference at Princeton is theological tripe as far as I am concerned. This conference is one more confirmation that my wife and I made the correct decision to leave the PCUSA. May God be with us all!
The World: “There is no binary understanding of gender”
PTS: “I agree (please like me)”
The World: “Why would we like you? You are irrelevant.”
PTS: “I know….please don’t tell the students and donors….and, please please like me!”
Is this program really asking the question, what does the denomination do about transgender individuals wishing to join and serve in the denomination? It is an issue. Are these people existing in a special state of incurable mental health issue..?. Some persons like to use new language for the old issues ….like reconceptualize…. Write old ideas in new packages like “gender fluidity.” I think she’d like to frame the discussion into the answer preferred by the leadership before the conference/program.
Should all who seek God be welcomed, tolerated, accepted for who they are??? Many believe you are who God made you as you came. There are hermaphrodites, children born with no immediate identity. Some may even live as homosexual. Some may come iinto your church looking like a brawny guy but sporting a dress and stockings. They come often. They offer to join a committee. So is the church ready ? Do you want them becoming your child’s religious teacher Sunday school teacher?..
How do we become the followers of Christ this is an issue. I don’t. Like the covering the issue with the dopey word gender fluidity… Like a gender IS an acceptable choice. These persons more then likely must have thorough medical examinations. What’s the answer? For any church or organized institution.
Google gender fluidity. Some school districts are incorperating these ideas into seventh grade curriculum based on some sociological theories. Fairfax, Virginia is mentioned. Beware of indoctrinating theory. The idea seems to replace binary sexes with this fluidity concept. Structuring society ….like PC.