Austen is a graduate of Luther Seminary’s Master of Arts program in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Studies, and is the winner of their 2014 John Milton Prize in Old Testament Writing. As a transgender person of faith, Austen's greatest passion is helping other trans and gender-non-conforming people see themselves in scripture. He is the author of Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians, a new book on theology and personal narratives published by Westminster John Knox Press in 2018. He is also the creator of the YouTube series Transgender and Christian, which seeks to understand, interpret, and share parts of the Bible that relate to gender identity and the lives of transgender individuals. He has spoken at numerous conferences including The Reformation Project Conferences, the Philadelphia Transgender Wellness Conference and the Why Christian Conference. As the Faith Coordinator for the nonprofit group Gender Spectrum, he enjoys speaking at colleges and universities and working with gender-diverse youth and families.