"Transgenderism: The Current State of Gender Identity and Godly Ways to Respond" - by Dr. Mark Rockenbach

Read the full article in the Concordia Journal, Winter 2026 

If you've ever felt unsure how to respond when a friend, family member, or church member brings up gender identity — you're not alone. It's one of the most emotionally charged topics of our time, and many Christians want to respond with both faithfulness to God's word and genuine compassion for the people involved.

That's exactly what Dr. Mark Rockenbach, Professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, sets out to help us do in his new article, "Transgenderism: The Current State of Gender Identity and Godly Ways to Respond," published in the Concordia Journal (Winter 2026). It's one of the most thorough, caring, and practically useful pieces written on this subject from a Lutheran perspective — and it's well worth your time.

Here are some of the highlights.

God's Gift of Sexual Identity

Rockenbach begins where all good theology begins: with God as Creator. Sexual identity — being male or female — is not an accident or a social construct. It is a gift given by God at conception. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gn 1:27).

He's careful to note that rejecting this gift isn't a new human impulse. From Adam and Eve to the Israelites and the golden calf, people have been turning away from what God has given since the beginning. The transgender movement is, at its root, another expression of this ancient tendency — placing our own desires above God's design.

But — and this is important — Rockenbach never loses sight of grace. He points to 1 Corinthians 6, where Paul reminds us that even those caught in sexual sin can be "washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." There is always hope.

Understanding Gender Ideology

One of the most valuable parts of the article is its clear-eyed explanation of how we got here culturally. Rockenbach traces the roots of modern gender ideology to figures like Alfred Kinsey and John Money, whose deeply flawed research — including experiments that harmed children — planted the seeds of the idea that biological sex is irrelevant to identity.

He also explains the DSM-5's diagnosis of gender dysphoria and why the current mental health community's default toward "affirming care" raises serious concerns. Rather than exploring underlying causes, affirming care simply validates whatever a person feels — a compassionate-sounding approach that may, in fact, do more harm than good.

The Real Risks of Affirming Care

Rockenbach walks through three forms of affirming care — social, pharmaceutical, and surgical — and doesn't shy away from the medical realities involved.

Puberty blockers, often described by activists as a harmless pause button, carry real risks: mood changes, anxiety, depression, bone density loss, and interference with normal brain development. Nearly all young people who begin puberty blockers go on to cross-sex hormones.

Cross-sex hormones carry their own serious long-term risks — for males taking estrogen, increased risk of stroke and infertility; for females taking testosterone, elevated risk of heart attack and other complications.

Surgical interventions are cosmetic and do not change a person's underlying biology. They also create genuine confusion in medical emergencies where biological sex matters.

Perhaps most striking: Rockenbach cites research by Lisa Littman showing that 80% of detransitioners reported some regret about their decision to transition, and 65% said they would not have chosen to transition if they had known then what they know now.

Social Contagion and Co-occurring Conditions

The article raises an important and often-overlooked point: the dramatic rise in gender dysphoria diagnoses — London's Tavistock clinic went from 14 cases per year in 1989 to over 3,000 by 2021 — is better explained by social contagion than by any biological shift in the population.

Rockenbach also points out that many young people diagnosed with gender dysphoria have co-occurring mental health conditions — autism, OCD, ADHD, anxiety, trauma, and others — that are going unaddressed because the focus has shifted entirely to gender identity. Treating gender dysphoria without addressing these underlying issues may be causing more harm, not less.

The "Sinful Spiral" — A Framework for Pastoral Care

One of the most original contributions of the article is Rockenbach's description of what he calls the sinful spiral of transgenderism — four stages that help the church understand where someone is and how to respond with both truth and love.

1. Desiring — The person begins experiencing feelings contrary to God's design, often amplified by social media. At this stage, compassionate listening, prayer, and grounding in God's word can make a real difference.

2. Coveting — The person begins to embrace those feelings and centers their identity around them, replacing God with their own desires. Here, the church is called to speak truth clearly, and may need to consider loving church discipline.

3. Implementing — The person begins living out their gender identity publicly. Rockenbach addresses practical questions here — like how to handle pronoun requests — with gentleness but clarity: we are called to live in truth, not fantasy.

4. Demanding — The person now demands full affirmation and shuts out anyone who won't comply. Even here, Rockenbach encourages the church not to give up. God's word does not return empty (Is 55:10–11).

A Word on Suicide

Rockenbach addresses the emotional weapon often used against Christian parents: "Would you rather have a living son or a dead daughter?" He takes suicide seriously — the crisis line is 988 — but he rightly calls out the manipulation behind using it as a tool to coerce affirmation. And he notes that research does not show that gender-affirming treatment reduces suicidal ideation in the long run.

The Bottom Line

Dr. Rockenbach closes with a word of hope and calling:

"Everyone you meet is someone who has been redeemed by the crucified and risen Christ... Caring for gender affirming individuals will be challenging. But do not lose hope. Your faithful work is not in vain" (1 Cor 15:58).

This article won't give you easy answers — because there aren't any. But it will give you a foundation: biblically grounded, medically informed, and pastorally warm. It's the kind of resource that helps the church be both truthful and compassionate — not choosing one at the expense of the other.

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Dr. Mark Rockenbach is Professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and director of the Doctor of Ministry Program. His areas of expertise include pastoral care, Christian counseling, and gender dysphoria.