The Body God Gives: An Interview with Robert Smith

Robert Smith is the author of The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory. He argues that God intends a person’s gender to be grounded in the reality of his or her biological sex—the body God has given. He also evaluates the shifts in how society thinks and talks about sex and gender, responding with biblical clarity, theological conviction, and Christian compassion.

In our interview below, Smith reflects on how writing the book provided deep healing for him.

Robert S. Smith is an ordained Anglican minister and a lecturer in theology, ethics, and music ministry at Sydney Missionary and Bible College. He is the author of How Should We Think About Gender and Identity? and coauthor of The Gender Revolution: A Biblical, Biological and Compassionate Response.

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Lexham Press: We understand that not only are you an Anglican minister and an author, you are also a rock star?

Robert Smith: Yes, I play the part of Paul McCartney in a Beatles tribute show called “The Beatnix.”

LP: That is fantastic! Now, tell us the story behind The Body God Gives and describe its basic thesis.

Smith: My book is an attempt to bring biblical clarity to the confusion created by transgender theory — the theory that there is no inherent connection between one’s sexed body and gendered self. The book’s basic thesis is that, according to the Bible’s anthropology, sexed embodiment is foundational to personal identity. Therefore the sex of a person’s body ought to ground their gender identity, guide their gender roles, and govern their gender expression.

LP: Can you tell us what contribution you hope to make with your book?

Smith: Several things about this book are unique. The first is the breadth of its engagement with transgender theory – biblical, historical, and philosophical. The second is its sympathetic yet critical engagement with those who have sought to make a trans affirming case from Scripture. The third is its detailed exegetical approach to the key biblical texts (e.g., Genesis 1 and 2) that speak to the claims of trans theory. The fourth is its attempt to draw out the theological, ethical and practical implications of the Bible’s teaching as it relates to transgender theory and transgender experience.

LP: Please tell us a particularly surprising or enjoyable aspect that you discovered from writing your book.

RS:. Writing this book has forced me to think very deeply about what it means to be human and, in particular, the importance and God-givenness of our bodies. My body is not simply a part of me, it is me! I am my body, even though there is more to me than my body. This has helped me to accept many things about my body, with all its quirks and flaws (including its increasing number of malfunctions), and to see it as God’s good gift — a gift that he will resurrect, restore, and perfect when Jesus returns. Personally, this understanding has been deeply healing for me.