Going in to this book, I was a bit apprehensive. The phrase "measured Christian response" in the synopsis sounded like an attempt to justify discrimination. But I was pleasantly surprised; this is a measured, and mostly reasonable and fair-minded, look at gender identity, and it offers a valuable snapshot of the understanding of, and medical and ministerial care for, people experiencing what the authors label "emerging gender identities", but what could perhaps more accurately be described as the "emerging language of gender". It's not so much that people are experiencing gender in new ways, but that we're rapidly developing new ways to describe those experiences. Although the language in this book occasionally feels a bit dated, overall the book does a good job of explaining some of the science, and relating some of the ways counselors and church leaders have tried to respond (often in ways that have caused great damage to both the individuals affected, and the church as a whole). Although I'm not sure I agree with some of the authors suggestions, I do appreciate the honesty, generosity, and humble spirit with which they make their case.

They do offer one suggestion that I love, in discussing the words we use to describe those experiencing gender issues:

The word we are drawn to when we think of teens navigating gender identity questions is "beloved". We like this word because it has less to do with how we think about the emerging gender identity and more to do with how we think of the teen as a whole person. It reminds us of how God sees the people we minister to (regardless of the name and pronouns they use, the apparel they choose, etc.). Not only that, but it also offers an identity for the teen to live into, one that will likely inform every aspect of their life and open them up to life-giving community, meaning, and purpose. ( )