I have read two chapters so far, and I'm definitely looking forward to the rest. In my experience, people don't like to talk about this. If you call God "She" you're a heretic, yet nobody considers the fact that in the Old Testament, one of the Hebrew names for God - Shekinah - is feminine. When questioned, many will admit that God is gender-neutral, but to refer to "Him" as "Her" is shocking and inappropriate."[...] throughout history women have learned about spiritual realization through men. Male guides and male interpreters - priests, rabbis, ministers, Zen masters, yogis, and countless other male teachers have defined what spirituality is and how it is to be developed and experienced in our lives. In almost all accounts of the sacred, both language and story have been the expressions of men conveyed in male imagery. [...] For many and varied reasons, women's experiences have remained unspoken. [...] We cannot learn how women develop spiritually from men. The responsibility for describing this process is ours, as women (7)."
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Can you elaborate on that?
It's not about establishing a new "model" for everyone to follow. It's also not about making females see God as a nurturer instead of a punisher. I believe God has both qualities - God can be loving and kind as well as just and strict. If God has no gender, why do we call God "Him" all the time? Men will not understand the significance of this. If you're curious what it feels like, start calling God "Her." I don't think that would sit well with men. If God was purely male, then fine, but God is not, and if a woman wants to recognize that, I see no problem. Truth and love will come when women don't have to be put off by constant male language, male references, and male-oriented Christianity.
Secondly, about women being created only as helpmates and child-bearers... that is one of my biggest problems with Christianity. In Genesis, there are two stories about the creation of men and women: one is the Eve rib story everyone knows so well, where man is created in the image of God and woman in the image of man. Then there's the other where both genders are created simultaneously: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27) Scholars believe there are three (possibly four) different authors of Genesis. Hmm.
I don't want to go too far on this; I'll be blogging on it a lot.
It's not extracting the maleness of God; it's examining the femaleness of God that is not talked about. Why is that not considered an understanding of who God is? If there is anger it comes out of years and years of neglecting this aspect of God and consequently, removing an important part of a woman's spirituality.
I agree about Adam being asexual. A rabbi once told me about that theory.
Please don't take offense at this, but I wouldn't expect any man to understand the significance of understanding the femaleness of God.
You make some good points, and I'm glad to know you're not defending the less-than-desirable man/woman roles thing. If some are only in it to take swings at the church, I agree that they are well deserved and have no problem with it. But I don't feel that every single woman who brings up the topic is doing that, and their valid points should be heard as well. Especially by women. Like me! :)
Hello, Sojourness. It's me again, from the christianity.com forums. I wanted to let you know that I have enjoyed reading your smart blog and I look forward to the future updates.
Thank you Brooke :)
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