Gender Essentialism and Orthodoxy

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Debates over sex and gender within contemporary orthodoxy have intensified, evolving from women's ordination to encompass feminism, sexual orientation, marriage, family definitions, adoption, and transgender care. Initial responses to these issues are influenced by gender essentialism, which posits that male and female are fixed categories with distinct characteristics and roles in family, church, and society. This work critiques gender essentialism within the contemporary Orthodox Church, particularly through the lens of the "Paris School" of Russian émigré theologians. Employing an interdisciplinary approach, it integrates patristic reflections, personalist theological anthropology, insights from gender and queer theory, and modern biological perspectives on sexual differentiation. Despite their apparent differences, these discourses reveal surprising convergences, advocating for a more nuanced understanding beyond a strict gender binary. The study culminates in exploring the theological implications of these findings regarding women's ordination, same-sex unions, sacramental marriage, family definitions, and pastoral care for intersex, transgender, and nonbinary individuals.