© 2016 Christianity Today
Christians have good reasons to resist gender-neutral
alternatives.
Simon Chan/ August 13, 2013
For at least the past 40 years, traditional language for
God has come under fire.
While formal feminist theologians disagree about what language to use instead,
they are unanimous that masculine words for God, especially Father, must
be expunged from our theological vocabulary. For the church to be inclusive,
they argue, it must replace man-centered language with language that accounts
for both male and female. Furthermore, since our human words cannot adequately
portray God's fullness, no single characterization will suffice. God could be addressed
as father and/or mother in order to bring out his multifaceted
nature.
Underlying this
view is a belief that
terms like father and mother are mere human characterizations of
God, shaped by specific cultural and backgrounds. The predominantly
masculine images of God in the Bible reflect an ancient patriarchal society. As
a consequence, critics say, biblical religion has absorbed patriarchal values,
which in turn are used to justify beliefs and institutions that harm or
subjugate women. Theology, therefore, must be reconstructed to yield a valid
religion for women based on women's experience.
The quest for
gender-inclusive language has been a preoccupation of many mainline Protestants
and liberal Catholics for decades. Some evangelicals also make compromises to
accommodate these concerns. But before we jump onto the theological bandwagon,
we need to reexamine the
reasons for the use of masculine terms for God in Scripture and throughout the
Christian tradition.
Not
an Invention
Feminine
images are used throughout Scripture to describe God's compassionate and loving
nature. Examples include the frequent images of God protecting and comforting
his children (Isa. 66:12–13; Hos. 11:1–4). But it's important to note that God
is never addressed as Mother. This phenomenon is unique...READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AT....
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