The Andrew Klavan Show The Identity Crisis Behind Gender Politics w/ Angela Franks
Jan 21, 2026
Angela Franks, an Associate Professor of Theology at the Catholic University of America and author of "Body and Identity: A History of the Empty Self," delves into the complex interplay between identity and the body. She discusses how modern identity crises, often spurred by secularism, reshape our notions of gender and personal worth. Franks highlights the vulnerability of women in these debates and critiques the current trend of seeking identity through body modification. She advocates for spiritual discernment in addressing identity issues, urging a return to personal vocation.
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Body Problems Are Identity Problems
- Many body issues are actually identity problems where people don't know who they are.
- The body becomes the easiest target to tinker with because it feels detachable from the self.
Christianity Then Secularism Shifted Identity
- Christianity unmoored people from fixed social identities by calling individuals to vocation.
- Secularism removed the Christian answer, creating a deeper identity crisis in modernity.
Modern Freedom Made Identity Fragile
- Modern freedom rejected fixed human nature, accelerating identity fluidity as social structures dissolved.
- By the 20th century, many sought quick identity answers through bodily changes like gender surgery.
