Since the Fall, the differences between men and women have been a source of tension and conflict, shaped by how we interpret the other through our own perspective. But this very tension is a pathway to holiness—a chance to discover the gift, beauty, and wonder of the other. In this episode, we lay the foundation for understanding the masculine and feminine genius so we can go deeper into gender complementarity as part of God’s plan.

Discussed in this episode:

• The surprising connection between masculinity, femininity, and holiness through conflict and tension;
• A free preview of a CPMAP certification lecture on the foundations of masculine and feminine genius;
• How John Paul II’s concept of “feminine genius” offers profound insights into gender differences;
• Why our biology as male or female is foundational to understanding who we are;
• Cardinal Ratzinger’s thoughts on how sexuality marks us physically, psychologically, and spiritually;
• Why the battle of the sexes and gender wars date back to the fall of Adam and Eve;
• How Marxist ideology and feminism have shaped modern views on gender and equality;
• Why “fractional complementarity” can lead to a distorted understanding of gender;
• The role of Mary and St. Joseph in forming Jesus through their respective geniuses;
• The dangers of conflating equality with sameness in the modern cultural landscape;
• Why the Church’s anthropology is uniquely positioned to respond to gender confusion;
• Why understanding gender differences can lead to complementarity and heal relationships.

Resources mentioned or relevant: 

• Mulieris Dignitatem by Pope St. John Paul II
• Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
• Previous episodes on the Being Human Podcast: 
  • Episode 201: Is Leadership of the Family a Man’s Job? with Special Guest Barbra Bottaro
  • Episode 200: Leaked Audio from a Groundbreaking Franciscan University Conference Keynote to Celebrate Our 200th Episode!
  • Episode 99: Diversity, Gender, and the Genius of Women, w/ Simone Rizkallah
• Flight from Woman by Karl Stern
• The Catholic Genius of Integrated Masculinity and Femininity
• Maria Fedoryka at Hildebrand Conference
• The Anti-Mary Exposed: Rescuing the Culture from Toxic Femininity by Carrie Gress
• Doctrinal Note USCCB 2023
• Female and Male He Resurrected Them edited by Jennifer Morel
• Need help? Schedule a free consultation to discuss your next best step; 
• Feeling called to help others? Learn more about our Certification program (CPMAP): CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism;
• Sign up for Being Human, our weekly newsletter, to stay up to date on the exciting developments at CatholicPsych;
• Visit our website to read the CatholicPsych blog, shop in the CatholicPsych bookshop, or discover other resources we have available;
• Download The Integrated App for access to free audio exercises, courses, prayer resources, and more;
• Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created, plus the opportunity to participate in Integrated LIVE’s - weekly, Mentor hosted Q&As covering topics like boundaries, communication, trauma, forgiveness, and more!
• Follow: 
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicPsych 
  • Instagram: @catholicpsych 
  • X: @CatholicPsych

Contact us! Have a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address on the podcast? Want to give some feedback about this episode? Email us at [email protected] - we would love to hear from you!

Rate, review, and subscribe

Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends.

Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings.

For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review.” Then type your sincere thoughts about the show!

If you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!