Is Same Sex Desire a Desire for God? A Response to Spyridoula Athanasopoulou-Kypriou
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Apr 1, 2026Keywords:
gender, Sexuality, Gregory of Nyssa, homosexuality, same-sex desire, concupiscenceMain Article Content
Abstract
Scholars and theologians who support LGBTQ ideology and relationships often justify their beliefs by referencing Gregory of Nyssa’s account of gender. Through his concept of “double creation,” Gregory suggested that sex as male and female is a secondary feature introduced by God, anticipating humanity's fall into sin. Therefore, he argues that our sexual differentiation lacks any ontological significance and will not persist in the eschaton.
One Orthodox scholar who has utilized Gregory’s account of gender to advocate for the validity of same-sex orientation and relationships is Spyridoula Athanasopolou-Kypriou. Athanasopolou-Kypriou (AK) published an article in 2022 titled “A Desire for All Is The Desire for God,” arguing that, based on Gregory’s anthropology and gender theory, sexuality extends beyond sexual intercourse. Therefore, we should consider individuals’ sexual orientation in light of the ascetical (severe self-discipline for religious purposes) transformation of sexuality. She concludes that since sex differentiation holds no ontological significance, same-sex relationships are permissible and should be embraced by the church when they are oriented towards a greater desire for God. Her argument rests on the central premise that our identity as male and female is not an intrinsic aspect of our human ontology at creation and will not persist in the eschaton.
As such, in this paper, after providing a summary of her article, I will argue four reasons why this central premise and, thus, her argument fails as a Christian anthropology: (1) it is contrary to the Biblical account of the creation and resurrection of humanity, (2) it is contrary to the theology of the imago Dei, (3) it is contrary to philosophical anthropology of human constitution, and (4) contrary to the Bible and Church History’s sexual ethic.
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