Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory

The question of gender—who we are as men and women—has never been more pressing, or more misunderstood.

Weaving personal experience with expert knowledge, Dr. Abigail Favale provides an in-depth yet accessible account of the gender paradigm: a framework for understanding reality and identity that has recently risen to prominence. Favale traces the genealogy of gender to its origins in feminism and postmodern thought, describing how gender has come to eclipse sex, and how that shift is reshaping language, law, medicine, sexuality, and our own self-perceptions.

With substance, clarity, and compassion, Favale teases out the hidden assumptions of the gender paradigm and exposes its effects. Yet this book is not merely an exposé—it is also a powerful, moving articulation of a Christian understanding of reality: a holistic paradigm that proclaims the dignity of the body, the sacramental meaning of sexual difference, and the interconnectedness of all creation. The Genesis of Gender is a vital, timely resource for anyone seeking to better understand the gender paradigm—and how to live beyond it.

"Favale's book is one I will share with my daughters. She begins with the premise that our bodies are for us, in both their blessings and their crosses, and explores how gender helps us know who God has made us to be. Her analysis is sharp, clear, and spoken in love—the right answer to a turbulent age."
— Leah Libresco, Author, Building the Benedict Option

"Abigail Favale has written a beautiful and profound reflection on the gift of our embodiment as male and female. The Genesis of Gender is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how we arrived at such a confused state and how we can lovingly promote the truth about human nature."
— Ryan T. Anderson, Ph.D., President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center; Author, When Harry
Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment

"This book is 'Catholic' in all my favorite senses. It addresses itself to all people of good will. It is intelligent, factually honest, respectful of every human being, and unafraid of where reason and dialogue and empirics lead it. Not to mention that it is a timely, balanced, and brilliant, unpacking of one of the hottest contemporary debates."
— Helen M. Alvare, Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School

"Every culture in history has taken for granted the God-given truth that human beings are created male or female – until now. If you want to understand how and why we got here so quickly and what to do about it, this is the book to read."
— Christopher West, Th.D., President, Theology of the Body Institute

"Wielding the magic of her gifted pen, Abigail Favale has written a treasure that culls deep philosophical insight from her riveting intellectual and spiritual journey. Before her conversion to Catholicism, Favale spent years teaching just those postmodern philosophers and literary figures that have turned the Western world upside down. Like a postmodern Saul of Tarsus, she was knocked off her Foucauldian horse for the good of us all: so that, wise to the ways of the world, she could speak the truth in love to our times."
— Erika Bachiochi, Author, The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision