Gender variance in Christianity - Revision history

100.101.254.78 at 21:24, 26 May 2025

2025-05-26T21:24:54Z

100.101.254.78 at 18:29, 25 May 2025

2025-05-25T18:29:04Z

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	Several Christian saints were gender-variant. Several were people who were assigned female at birth and lived as men, which made it possible for them to do things that their societies saw as only for men to do, such as being priests or warriors. As with many gender variant historical figures, it's open to interpretation whether they were passing as men for practicality, or if they were transgender men, or something else. Even though the book of Deuteronomy condemned cross-dressing, and medieval Christianity penalized that act, the Church nonetheless canonized as many as twenty-five saints who are known to have cross-dressed or been gender-variant.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68">Leslie Feinberg, ''Transgender Warriors: Making history from Joan of Arc to RuPaul.'' Beacon: Boston, Massachusetts. 1996. P. 68-69.</ref> A list of some gender-variant saints, in alphabetical order:		Several Christian saints were gender-variant. Several were people who were assigned female at birth and lived as men, which made it possible for them to do things that their societies saw as only for men to do, such as being priests or warriors. As with many gender variant historical figures, it's open to interpretation whether they were passing as men for practicality, or if they were transgender men, or something else. Even though the book of Deuteronomy condemned cross-dressing, and medieval Christianity penalized that act, the Church nonetheless canonized as many as twenty-five saints who are known to have cross-dressed or been gender-variant.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68">Leslie Feinberg, ''Transgender Warriors: Making history from Joan of Arc to RuPaul.'' Beacon: Boston, Massachusetts. 1996. P. 68-69.</ref> A list of some gender-variant saints, in alphabetical order:
	* '''Saint Anastasia''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Anastasia''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
			* '''Saint Anna of Constantinople''' was assigned female at birth, and after the death of her husband, she dressed in men's clothing and called herself Euthymianus.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2018/10/29/103107-righteous-anna-of-constantinople\|title=Righteous Anna of Constantinople\|date=2018-10-29\|website=Orthodox Church of America\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250525181220/https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2018/10/29/103107-righteous-anna-of-constantinople\|archive-date=2025-05-25\|access-date=2025-05-25}}</ref>
	* '''Saint Apollinaris''' (also called Saint Appollinaria). A monk who was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref>Conner, Sparks, and Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit, covering gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore''. 1997. P. 65.</ref><ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Apollinaris''' (also called Saint Appollinaria). A monk who was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref>Conner, Sparks, and Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit, covering gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore''. 1997. P. 65.</ref><ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	* '''Saint Athanasia''' (also called Saint Alexandria) was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Athanasia''' (also called Saint Alexandria) was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
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	* '''Saint Pelagia''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man. Later, the scholar Herman Usener pointed out that Pelagia was also a name of Aphrodite, which is significant for the aforementioned reasons.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Pelagia''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man. Later, the scholar Herman Usener pointed out that Pelagia was also a name of Aphrodite, which is significant for the aforementioned reasons.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	* '''Saint Theodora''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Theodora''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	[[File:Hl kuemmernis museum neunkirchen.jpg\|thumb\|Saint Wilgefortis is often shown as with one shoe off, and a fiddler. Legend says a silver shoe miraculously fell from her statue to help this poor pilgrim.]]		[[File:Hl kuemmernis museum neunkirchen.jpg\|thumb\|Saint Wilgefortis is often shown as with one shoe off, and a fiddler. Legend says a silver shoe miraculously fell from her statue to help this poor pilgrim.<ref>{{Cite news\|last=King\|first=Jade\|url=https://artuk.org/discover/stories/saint-wilgefortis-a-bearded-woman-with-a-queer-history\|title=Saint Wilgefortis: a bearded woman with a queer history\|date=2021-08-13\|access-date=2025-05-25\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250324223605/https://artuk.org/discover/stories/saint-wilgefortis-a-bearded-woman-with-a-queer-history\|archive-date=2025-03-24}}</ref>]]
	* '''Saint Wilgefortis''' (also called Saint Uncumber, Saint Librata, or other names) was a woman with a full beard.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" /> She's thought not to be a historical figure, but a folklore figure. She had prayed to make herself unappealing to a pagan Portuguese king who wanted to marry her, and her prayer was answered by the miraculous growth of her beard. In retaliation, the pagan crucified her. Saint Wilgefortis is the patron of women who wish to be freed from abusive husbands.		* '''Saint Wilgefortis''' (also called Saint Uncumber,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15622a.htm\|title=Wilgefortis\|website=New Advent\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250511163254/https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15622a.htm\|archive-date=2025-05-11\|access-date=2025-05-25}}</ref> Saint Librata,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=465\|title=St. Wilgefortis\|website=Catholic Online\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250301073624/https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=465\|archive-date=2025-03-01\|access-date=2025-05-25}}</ref> or other names<ref name=":0" />) was a woman with a full beard.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" /> She's thought not to be a historical figure, but a folklore figure.<ref name=":1" /> She had prayed to make herself unappealing to a pagan Portuguese king who wanted to marry her, and her prayer was answered by the miraculous growth of her beard. In retaliation, the pagan crucified her. Saint Wilgefortis is the patron of women who wish to be freed from abusive husbands.

	Leslie Feinberg reflects on the reasons why so many saints on the female-to-male transgender spectrum in particular were canonized, even though the medieval Church specifically condemned female-to-male crossdressing in its contemporary laws:		Leslie Feinberg reflects on the reasons why so many saints on the female-to-male transgender spectrum in particular were canonized, even though the medieval Church specifically condemned female-to-male crossdressing in its contemporary laws:

216.165.95.139: /* Gender nonconforming Christian saints */ Put Hilaria/Hilarion into proper alphetical order-- whoops

2024-06-10T17:11:47Z

Gender nonconforming Christian saints: Put Hilaria/Hilarion into proper alphetical order-- whoops

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	* '''Saint Euphrosyne''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Euphrosyne''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	* '''Saint Galla''' was a woman with a full beard.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Galla''' was a woman with a full beard.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
			* '''Saint Hilaria (Hilarion the Eunuch)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man. They are honored as a Saint in the Coptic and Syriac Orthodox churches.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_Hilaria</ref>
	* '''Saint Joan of Arc''' ('''Jeanne D'Arc''', or '''Jehanne''') (c. 1412 - 1431) led an army of French peasants against the English during the Hundred Years War. Although she exclusively chose to wear masculine dress and hairstyle, this was not a disguise, and she made no secret that she was assigned female at birth. She told her ally, Prince Charles, that God had commanded her to dress in this way. Charles stood by her side, until after her victory, she was captured by the Burgundians, who called her ''homasse'' ("man-woman"). The French nobility betrayed her by offering no ransom for her, so she was sold to the English. Henry VI, the King of England, referred to Deuteronomy 22:5 as a reason for the Inquisitors of the Church to condemn her. Initially the Inquisitors tried her for witchcraft, but dropped that charge due to lack of evidence, and condemned her for cross-dressing instead. Her judges claimed they gave her the choice to either give up cross-dressing, to face a sentence of life in prison on bread and water, or to be executed if she again wore men's clothing. She chose men's clothing of her free will. The court records show that cross-dressing, based on Deuteronomy 22:5, was the actual charge for which she was burned alive at the stake. In [[English neutral pronouns#Ze\|hir]] history book, ''Transgender Warriors'', the genderqueer activist [[Leslie Feinberg]] (1949 - 2014) argues that the historical evidence shows that this saint was not just a warrior woman who took up armor for practicality, but was genuinely transgender, and the court documents about her refer to local peasants' beliefs that her gender variance was sacred in and of itself, which was part of why the Catholic Church saw her as so threatening to its power.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors31">Leslie Feinberg, ''Transgender Warriors: Making history from Joan of Arc to RuPaul.'' Beacon: Boston, Massachusetts. 1996. P. 31-37.</ref> Joan was popularly accepted as a saint for centuries, until finally being canonized in 1920. Saint Joan is patron of France, martyrs, captives, prisoners, soldiers, military personnel, and people ridiculed for their piety.		* '''Saint Joan of Arc''' ('''Jeanne D'Arc''', or '''Jehanne''') (c. 1412 - 1431) led an army of French peasants against the English during the Hundred Years War. Although she exclusively chose to wear masculine dress and hairstyle, this was not a disguise, and she made no secret that she was assigned female at birth. She told her ally, Prince Charles, that God had commanded her to dress in this way. Charles stood by her side, until after her victory, she was captured by the Burgundians, who called her ''homasse'' ("man-woman"). The French nobility betrayed her by offering no ransom for her, so she was sold to the English. Henry VI, the King of England, referred to Deuteronomy 22:5 as a reason for the Inquisitors of the Church to condemn her. Initially the Inquisitors tried her for witchcraft, but dropped that charge due to lack of evidence, and condemned her for cross-dressing instead. Her judges claimed they gave her the choice to either give up cross-dressing, to face a sentence of life in prison on bread and water, or to be executed if she again wore men's clothing. She chose men's clothing of her free will. The court records show that cross-dressing, based on Deuteronomy 22:5, was the actual charge for which she was burned alive at the stake. In [[English neutral pronouns#Ze\|hir]] history book, ''Transgender Warriors'', the genderqueer activist [[Leslie Feinberg]] (1949 - 2014) argues that the historical evidence shows that this saint was not just a warrior woman who took up armor for practicality, but was genuinely transgender, and the court documents about her refer to local peasants' beliefs that her gender variance was sacred in and of itself, which was part of why the Catholic Church saw her as so threatening to its power.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors31">Leslie Feinberg, ''Transgender Warriors: Making history from Joan of Arc to RuPaul.'' Beacon: Boston, Massachusetts. 1996. P. 31-37.</ref> Joan was popularly accepted as a saint for centuries, until finally being canonized in 1920. Saint Joan is patron of France, martyrs, captives, prisoners, soldiers, military personnel, and people ridiculed for their piety.
	* '''Saint Hilaria (Hilarion the Eunuch)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man. They are honored as a Saint in the Coptic and Syriac Orthodox churches.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_Hilaria</ref>
	* '''Saint Joseph (Hildegund)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Joseph (Hildegund)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	* '''Saint Margarita''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Margarita''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />

216.165.95.139: /* Gender nonconforming Christian saints */ Added Hilaria/Hilarion

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Gender nonconforming Christian saints: Added Hilaria/Hilarion

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	* '''Saint Galla''' was a woman with a full beard.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Galla''' was a woman with a full beard.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	* '''Saint Joan of Arc''' ('''Jeanne D'Arc''', or '''Jehanne''') (c. 1412 - 1431) led an army of French peasants against the English during the Hundred Years War. Although she exclusively chose to wear masculine dress and hairstyle, this was not a disguise, and she made no secret that she was assigned female at birth. She told her ally, Prince Charles, that God had commanded her to dress in this way. Charles stood by her side, until after her victory, she was captured by the Burgundians, who called her ''homasse'' ("man-woman"). The French nobility betrayed her by offering no ransom for her, so she was sold to the English. Henry VI, the King of England, referred to Deuteronomy 22:5 as a reason for the Inquisitors of the Church to condemn her. Initially the Inquisitors tried her for witchcraft, but dropped that charge due to lack of evidence, and condemned her for cross-dressing instead. Her judges claimed they gave her the choice to either give up cross-dressing, to face a sentence of life in prison on bread and water, or to be executed if she again wore men's clothing. She chose men's clothing of her free will. The court records show that cross-dressing, based on Deuteronomy 22:5, was the actual charge for which she was burned alive at the stake. In [[English neutral pronouns#Ze\|hir]] history book, ''Transgender Warriors'', the genderqueer activist [[Leslie Feinberg]] (1949 - 2014) argues that the historical evidence shows that this saint was not just a warrior woman who took up armor for practicality, but was genuinely transgender, and the court documents about her refer to local peasants' beliefs that her gender variance was sacred in and of itself, which was part of why the Catholic Church saw her as so threatening to its power.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors31">Leslie Feinberg, ''Transgender Warriors: Making history from Joan of Arc to RuPaul.'' Beacon: Boston, Massachusetts. 1996. P. 31-37.</ref> Joan was popularly accepted as a saint for centuries, until finally being canonized in 1920. Saint Joan is patron of France, martyrs, captives, prisoners, soldiers, military personnel, and people ridiculed for their piety.		* '''Saint Joan of Arc''' ('''Jeanne D'Arc''', or '''Jehanne''') (c. 1412 - 1431) led an army of French peasants against the English during the Hundred Years War. Although she exclusively chose to wear masculine dress and hairstyle, this was not a disguise, and she made no secret that she was assigned female at birth. She told her ally, Prince Charles, that God had commanded her to dress in this way. Charles stood by her side, until after her victory, she was captured by the Burgundians, who called her ''homasse'' ("man-woman"). The French nobility betrayed her by offering no ransom for her, so she was sold to the English. Henry VI, the King of England, referred to Deuteronomy 22:5 as a reason for the Inquisitors of the Church to condemn her. Initially the Inquisitors tried her for witchcraft, but dropped that charge due to lack of evidence, and condemned her for cross-dressing instead. Her judges claimed they gave her the choice to either give up cross-dressing, to face a sentence of life in prison on bread and water, or to be executed if she again wore men's clothing. She chose men's clothing of her free will. The court records show that cross-dressing, based on Deuteronomy 22:5, was the actual charge for which she was burned alive at the stake. In [[English neutral pronouns#Ze\|hir]] history book, ''Transgender Warriors'', the genderqueer activist [[Leslie Feinberg]] (1949 - 2014) argues that the historical evidence shows that this saint was not just a warrior woman who took up armor for practicality, but was genuinely transgender, and the court documents about her refer to local peasants' beliefs that her gender variance was sacred in and of itself, which was part of why the Catholic Church saw her as so threatening to its power.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors31">Leslie Feinberg, ''Transgender Warriors: Making history from Joan of Arc to RuPaul.'' Beacon: Boston, Massachusetts. 1996. P. 31-37.</ref> Joan was popularly accepted as a saint for centuries, until finally being canonized in 1920. Saint Joan is patron of France, martyrs, captives, prisoners, soldiers, military personnel, and people ridiculed for their piety.
			* '''Saint Hilaria (Hilarion the Eunuch)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man. They are honored as a Saint in the Coptic and Syriac Orthodox churches.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_Hilaria</ref>
	* '''Saint Joseph (Hildegund)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Joseph (Hildegund)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	* '''Saint Margarita''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Margarita''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />

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imported>TXJ: /* Views about gender variance in Christianity */

2021-01-10T15:41:54Z

Views about gender variance in Christianity

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	[[Gender variance in spirituality#the six genders in classical Judaism\|The six genders in classical Judaism]] are not typically known in Christian tradition, though they are important for scholars to take into account when studying Hebrew texts that are used in Christianity.		[[Gender variance in spirituality#the six genders in classical Judaism\|The six genders in classical Judaism]] are not typically known in Christian tradition, though they are important for scholars to take into account when studying Hebrew texts that are used in Christianity.

	Saint Abban is not gender-variant, but is said to have changed a baby from female to male<ref name="TransChristianity">{{Cite web \|title=100 - 1399: Mystics, Monks, and Plagues \|author=Smith, Avery \|work=Trans Christianity \|date=July 2019 \|access-date=10 January 2021 \|url= https://queerlychristian.wixsite.com/transchristianity/100-1399}}</ref>, and so can be considered informally a patron saint for transgender people.<ref>Conner, Sparks, and Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit, covering gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore''. 1997. P. 39.</ref>		Saint Abban is not gender-variant, but is said to have changed a baby from female to male after prayer<ref name="TransChristianity">{{Cite web \|title=100 - 1399: Mystics, Monks, and Plagues \|author=Smith, Avery \|work=Trans Christianity \|date=July 2019 \|access-date=10 January 2021 \|url= https://queerlychristian.wixsite.com/transchristianity/100-1399}}</ref><ref name="mary_Life">{{Cite web \|title=Life of St. Abban \|author= \|work=maryjones.us \|date= \|access-date=10 January 2021 \|url= http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/abban.html \|quote=Abban took the infant in his hands, and prayed earnestly to God that the king might have an heir; and the girl that he immersed in the font he took out as a boy, and laid it in the king's bosom. }}</ref>, and so can be considered informally a patron saint for transgender people.<ref>Conner, Sparks, and Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit, covering gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore''. 1997. P. 39.</ref>

	== Gender variance in the Christian Bible ==		== Gender variance in the Christian Bible ==

imported>TXJ: Abban himself didn't transition, as far as I can tell

2021-01-10T15:40:23Z

Abban himself didn't transition, as far as I can tell

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:40, 10 January 2021
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	[[Gender variance in spirituality#the six genders in classical Judaism\|The six genders in classical Judaism]] are not typically known in Christian tradition, though they are important for scholars to take into account when studying Hebrew texts that are used in Christianity.		[[Gender variance in spirituality#the six genders in classical Judaism\|The six genders in classical Judaism]] are not typically known in Christian tradition, though they are important for scholars to take into account when studying Hebrew texts that are used in Christianity.

	Saint Abban is not gender-variant, but is said to have ~~transitioned~~ from female to male, and so can be considered informally a patron saint for transgender people.<ref>Conner, Sparks, and Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit, covering gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore''. 1997. P. 39.</ref>		Saint Abban is not gender-variant, but is said to have changed a baby from female to male<ref name="TransChristianity">{{Cite web \|title=100 - 1399: Mystics, Monks, and Plagues \|author=Smith, Avery \|work=Trans Christianity \|date=July 2019 \|access-date=10 January 2021 \|url= https://queerlychristian.wixsite.com/transchristianity/100-1399}}</ref>, and so can be considered informally a patron saint for transgender people.<ref>Conner, Sparks, and Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit, covering gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore''. 1997. P. 39.</ref>

	== Gender variance in the Christian Bible ==		== Gender variance in the Christian Bible ==

71.234.255.80: /* Views about gender variance in Christianity */made it more politically correct

2021-01-10T14:21:56Z

Views about gender variance in Christianity: made it more politically correct

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	[[Gender variance in spirituality#the six genders in classical Judaism\|The six genders in classical Judaism]] are not typically known in Christian tradition, though they are important for scholars to take into account when studying Hebrew texts that are used in Christianity.		[[Gender variance in spirituality#the six genders in classical Judaism\|The six genders in classical Judaism]] are not typically known in Christian tradition, though they are important for scholars to take into account when studying Hebrew texts that are used in Christianity.

	Saint Abban is not gender-variant, but is said to have ~~changed a girl into a boy~~, and so can be considered informally a patron saint for transgender people.<ref>Conner, Sparks, and Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit, covering gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore''. 1997. P. 39.</ref>		Saint Abban is not gender-variant, but is said to have transitioned from female to male, and so can be considered informally a patron saint for transgender people.<ref>Conner, Sparks, and Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit, covering gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore''. 1997. P. 39.</ref>

	== Gender variance in the Christian Bible ==		== Gender variance in the Christian Bible ==

imported>TXJ: /* God in Christianity */

2020-12-12T19:16:37Z

God in Christianity

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	[[File:Eitorf St.Patricius915.JPG\|thumb\|In this stained glass window in Catholic parish church St. Patricius (Eitorf), the hand of God guides the Holy Ghost in its descent to Earth.]]		[[File:Eitorf St.Patricius915.JPG\|thumb\|In this stained glass window in Catholic parish church St. Patricius (Eitorf), the hand of God guides the Holy Ghost in its descent to Earth.]]

	Individual Christian sects can interpret the '''God of Abraham''' in different ways. God is often thought of as a male patriarch. However, there is also a long history of seeing God as partly or entirely other than female or male, or as both.<ref>{{cite book\|year=1991\|title=Exploring the Feminine Face of God: A Prayerful Journey \|last= Meehan\|first=Bridget Mary\|page=73 \|quote=Since God is both female and male and neither female nor male, there is a need for an inclusive language for God that utilizes the images and experiences of both women and men.}}</ref> Jehovah's wife and/or female aspect is Shekinah.<ref name="KasselAndrogynous" />		Individual Christian sects can interpret the '''God of Abraham''' in different ways. God is often thought of as a male patriarch. However, there is also a long history of seeing God as partly or entirely other than female or male, or as both.<ref>{{cite book\|year=1991\|title=Exploring the Feminine Face of God: A Prayerful Journey \|last= Meehan\|first=Bridget Mary\|page=73 \|quote=Since God is both female and male and neither female nor male, there is a need for an inclusive language for God that utilizes the images and experiences of both women and men.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book\|title=The Female Ancestors of Christ \|year=1993 \|last=Ulanov \|first=Ann Belford\|quote=But Yahweh is above sexual deities, possessing neither female nor male characteristics.\|page=23}}</ref> Jehovah's wife and/or female aspect is Shekinah.<ref name="KasselAndrogynous" />

	Some Christian sects have called God by the title Father-Mother. For example, one Christian sect, Christian Science, has referred to Father-Mother God by Mary Baker Eddy since she established that sect in 1879. "Father-Mother God" is also the epithet used in a children's bedtime prayer in Christian Science, as written by Eddy.<ref>"Father-Mother God." ''BibleTexts.com'' Retrieved May 10, 2019. http://bibletexts.com/terms/father-mother-god.htm</ref>		Some Christian sects have called God by the title Father-Mother. For example, one Christian sect, Christian Science, has referred to Father-Mother God by Mary Baker Eddy since she established that sect in 1879. "Father-Mother God" is also the epithet used in a children's bedtime prayer in Christian Science, as written by Eddy.<ref>"Father-Mother God." ''BibleTexts.com'' Retrieved May 10, 2019. http://bibletexts.com/terms/father-mother-god.htm</ref>

imported>TXJ: /* God in Christianity */

2020-12-12T19:11:46Z

God in Christianity

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:11, 12 December 2020
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	[[File:Eitorf St.Patricius915.JPG\|thumb\|In this stained glass window in Catholic parish church St. Patricius (Eitorf), the hand of God guides the Holy Ghost in its descent to Earth.]]		[[File:Eitorf St.Patricius915.JPG\|thumb\|In this stained glass window in Catholic parish church St. Patricius (Eitorf), the hand of God guides the Holy Ghost in its descent to Earth.]]

	Individual Christian sects can interpret the '''God of Abraham''' in different ways. God is often thought of as a male patriarch. However, there is also a long history of seeing God as partly or entirely other than female or male, or as both. Jehovah's wife and/or female aspect is Shekinah.<ref name="KasselAndrogynous" />		Individual Christian sects can interpret the '''God of Abraham''' in different ways. God is often thought of as a male patriarch. However, there is also a long history of seeing God as partly or entirely other than female or male, or as both.<ref>{{cite book\|year=1991\|title=Exploring the Feminine Face of God: A Prayerful Journey \|last= Meehan\|first=Bridget Mary\|page=73 \|quote=Since God is both female and male and neither female nor male, there is a need for an inclusive language for God that utilizes the images and experiences of both women and men.}}</ref> Jehovah's wife and/or female aspect is Shekinah.<ref name="KasselAndrogynous" />

	Some Christian sects have called God by the title Father-Mother. For example, one Christian sect, Christian Science, has referred to Father-Mother God by Mary Baker Eddy since she established that sect in 1879. "Father-Mother God" is also the epithet used in a children's bedtime prayer in Christian Science, as written by Eddy.<ref>"Father-Mother God." ''BibleTexts.com'' Retrieved May 10, 2019. http://bibletexts.com/terms/father-mother-god.htm</ref>		Some Christian sects have called God by the title Father-Mother. For example, one Christian sect, Christian Science, has referred to Father-Mother God by Mary Baker Eddy since she established that sect in 1879. "Father-Mother God" is also the epithet used in a children's bedtime prayer in Christian Science, as written by Eddy.<ref>"Father-Mother God." ''BibleTexts.com'' Retrieved May 10, 2019. http://bibletexts.com/terms/father-mother-god.htm</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:24, 26 May 2025
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	* '''Saint Apollinaris''' (also called Saint Appollinaria). A monk who was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref>Conner, Sparks, and Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit, covering gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore''. 1997. P. 65.</ref><ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Apollinaris''' (also called Saint Appollinaria). A monk who was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref>Conner, Sparks, and Sparks. ''Cassell's Encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol, and spirit, covering gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore''. 1997. P. 65.</ref><ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	* '''Saint Athanasia''' (also called Saint Alexandria) was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Athanasia''' (also called Saint Alexandria) was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
			* '''Saint Dositheus of Kyiv''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref>{{Cite book\|title=A New Dictionary of Saints: East and West\|last=Walsh\|first=Michael J.\|publisher=Liturgical Press\|year=2007\|isbn=978-0814631867\|pages=163}}</ref>
	* '''Saint Eugene''' (also called Eugenia) was a priest who was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Eugene''' (also called Eugenia) was a priest who was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	* '''Saint Euphrosyne''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Euphrosyne''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	* '''Saint Galla''' was a woman with a full beard.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Galla''' was a woman with a full beard.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	* '''Saint Hilaria (Hilarion the Eunuch)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man. They are honored as a Saint in the Coptic and Syriac Orthodox churches.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_Hilaria</ref>		* '''Saint Hilaria (Hilarion the Eunuch)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man. They are honored as a Saint in the Coptic and Syriac Orthodox churches.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_Hilaria</ref>
			* Saint Jacoba of Settesoli
	* '''Saint Joan of Arc''' ('''Jeanne D'Arc''', or '''Jehanne''') (c. 1412 - 1431) led an army of French peasants against the English during the Hundred Years War. Although she exclusively chose to wear masculine dress and hairstyle, this was not a disguise, and she made no secret that she was assigned female at birth. She told her ally, Prince Charles, that God had commanded her to dress in this way. Charles stood by her side, until after her victory, she was captured by the Burgundians, who called her ''homasse'' ("man-woman"). The French nobility betrayed her by offering no ransom for her, so she was sold to the English. Henry VI, the King of England, referred to Deuteronomy 22:5 as a reason for the Inquisitors of the Church to condemn her. Initially the Inquisitors tried her for witchcraft, but dropped that charge due to lack of evidence, and condemned her for cross-dressing instead. Her judges claimed they gave her the choice to either give up cross-dressing, to face a sentence of life in prison on bread and water, or to be executed if she again wore men's clothing. She chose men's clothing of her free will. The court records show that cross-dressing, based on Deuteronomy 22:5, was the actual charge for which she was burned alive at the stake. In [[English neutral pronouns#Ze\|hir]] history book, ''Transgender Warriors'', the genderqueer activist [[Leslie Feinberg]] (1949 - 2014) argues that the historical evidence shows that this saint was not just a warrior woman who took up armor for practicality, but was genuinely transgender, and the court documents about her refer to local peasants' beliefs that her gender variance was sacred in and of itself, which was part of why the Catholic Church saw her as so threatening to its power.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors31">Leslie Feinberg, ''Transgender Warriors: Making history from Joan of Arc to RuPaul.'' Beacon: Boston, Massachusetts. 1996. P. 31-37.</ref> Joan was popularly accepted as a saint for centuries, until finally being canonized in 1920. Saint Joan is patron of France, martyrs, captives, prisoners, soldiers, military personnel, and people ridiculed for their piety.		* '''Saint Joan of Arc''' ('''Jeanne D'Arc''', or '''Jehanne''') (c. 1412 - 1431) led an army of French peasants against the English during the Hundred Years War. Although she exclusively chose to wear masculine dress and hairstyle, this was not a disguise, and she made no secret that she was assigned female at birth. She told her ally, Prince Charles, that God had commanded her to dress in this way. Charles stood by her side, until after her victory, she was captured by the Burgundians, who called her ''homasse'' ("man-woman"). The French nobility betrayed her by offering no ransom for her, so she was sold to the English. Henry VI, the King of England, referred to Deuteronomy 22:5 as a reason for the Inquisitors of the Church to condemn her. Initially the Inquisitors tried her for witchcraft, but dropped that charge due to lack of evidence, and condemned her for cross-dressing instead. Her judges claimed they gave her the choice to either give up cross-dressing, to face a sentence of life in prison on bread and water, or to be executed if she again wore men's clothing. She chose men's clothing of her free will. The court records show that cross-dressing, based on Deuteronomy 22:5, was the actual charge for which she was burned alive at the stake. In [[English neutral pronouns#Ze\|hir]] history book, ''Transgender Warriors'', the genderqueer activist [[Leslie Feinberg]] (1949 - 2014) argues that the historical evidence shows that this saint was not just a warrior woman who took up armor for practicality, but was genuinely transgender, and the court documents about her refer to local peasants' beliefs that her gender variance was sacred in and of itself, which was part of why the Catholic Church saw her as so threatening to its power.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors31">Leslie Feinberg, ''Transgender Warriors: Making history from Joan of Arc to RuPaul.'' Beacon: Boston, Massachusetts. 1996. P. 31-37.</ref> Joan was popularly accepted as a saint for centuries, until finally being canonized in 1920. Saint Joan is patron of France, martyrs, captives, prisoners, soldiers, military personnel, and people ridiculed for their piety.
	* '''Saint Joseph (Hildegund)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Joseph (Hildegund)''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
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	* '''Saint Theodora''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />		* '''Saint Theodora''' was assigned female at birth, and lived as a man.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" />
	[[File:Hl kuemmernis museum neunkirchen.jpg\|thumb\|Saint Wilgefortis is often shown as with one shoe off, and a fiddler. Legend says a silver shoe miraculously fell from her statue to help this poor pilgrim.<ref>{{Cite news\|last=King\|first=Jade\|url=https://artuk.org/discover/stories/saint-wilgefortis-a-bearded-woman-with-a-queer-history\|title=Saint Wilgefortis: a bearded woman with a queer history\|date=2021-08-13\|access-date=2025-05-25\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250324223605/https://artuk.org/discover/stories/saint-wilgefortis-a-bearded-woman-with-a-queer-history\|archive-date=2025-03-24}}</ref>]]		[[File:Hl kuemmernis museum neunkirchen.jpg\|thumb\|Saint Wilgefortis is often shown as with one shoe off, and a fiddler. Legend says a silver shoe miraculously fell from her statue to help this poor pilgrim.<ref>{{Cite news\|last=King\|first=Jade\|url=https://artuk.org/discover/stories/saint-wilgefortis-a-bearded-woman-with-a-queer-history\|title=Saint Wilgefortis: a bearded woman with a queer history\|date=2021-08-13\|access-date=2025-05-25\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250324223605/https://artuk.org/discover/stories/saint-wilgefortis-a-bearded-woman-with-a-queer-history\|archive-date=2025-03-24}}</ref>]]
	* '''Saint Wilgefortis''' (also called Saint Uncumber,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15622a.htm\|title=Wilgefortis\|website=New Advent\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250511163254/https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15622a.htm\|archive-date=2025-05-11\|access-date=2025-05-25}}</ref> Saint Librata,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=465\|title=St. Wilgefortis\|website=Catholic Online\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250301073624/https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=465\|archive-date=2025-03-01\|access-date=2025-05-25}}</ref> or other names<ref name=":0" />) was a woman with a full beard.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" /> She's thought not to be a historical figure, but a ~~folklore~~ figure.<ref name=":1" /> She had prayed to make herself unappealing to a pagan Portuguese king who wanted to marry her, and her prayer was answered by the miraculous growth of her beard. In retaliation, the pagan crucified her. Saint Wilgefortis is the patron of women who wish to be freed from abusive husbands.		* '''Saint Wilgefortis''' (also called Saint Uncumber,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15622a.htm\|title=Wilgefortis\|website=New Advent\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250511163254/https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15622a.htm\|archive-date=2025-05-11\|access-date=2025-05-25}}</ref> Saint Librata,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=465\|title=St. Wilgefortis\|website=Catholic Online\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250301073624/https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=465\|archive-date=2025-03-01\|access-date=2025-05-25}}</ref> or other names<ref name=":0" />) was a woman with a full beard.<ref name="FeinbergWarriors68" /> She's thought not to be a historical figure, but a folklorical figure.<ref name=":1" /> She had prayed to make herself unappealing to a pagan Portuguese king who wanted to marry her, and her prayer was answered by the miraculous growth of her beard. In retaliation, the pagan crucified her. Saint Wilgefortis is the patron of women who wish to be freed from abusive husbands.

	Leslie Feinberg reflects on the reasons why so many saints on the female-to-male transgender spectrum in particular were canonized, even though the medieval Church specifically condemned female-to-male crossdressing in its contemporary laws:		Leslie Feinberg reflects on the reasons why so many saints on the female-to-male transgender spectrum in particular were canonized, even though the medieval Church specifically condemned female-to-male crossdressing in its contemporary laws: