Sex, Gender and Christianity: A 3,000 Year History, with Diarmaid MacCulloch and Mary Beard (Part One)

Intelligence Squared

News, Society & Culture, Arts, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 March 2026

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the twenty-first century, Christianity or historically Christian societies have witnessed one of the most extraordinary revolutions in attitudes to sex and gender in human history, bringing liberation for some and fury and fear for others. Understanding the history of Christianity and its influence on our cultural identity is essential to understanding debates around the role of women in society, same-sex relationships and the public exploration of gender and trans identity. In March 2026, Diarmaid MacCulloch, one of Britain’s foremost experts on the history of Christianity, and Mary Beard, acclaimed and award winning classicist best known for her work on the history of women and power, came to Intelligence Squared to help us understand the 3000-year-long story of Christians, and Jews before them, encountering sex, gender and the family. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:58.9	Welcome to Intelligence Squared where great minds meet.
1:02.5	I'm producer Mia Sorrenti.
1:04.9	What can 3,000 years of Christian history
1:07.1	teaches about today's debates
1:09.0	on sex, sexuality, gender and tradition.
1:12.5	Today's episode is part one of our recent live event with Deben McCulloch,
1:16.4	Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University.
1:20.6	McCulloch joined renowned classicist and broadcaster Mary Beard at Union Chapel
1:25.0	to discuss Christianity, sex and gender across history.
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