gender and theology

• God as a mother

  Isaiah 49:15

  “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!"

  • God compares himself to a mother feeding her baby and not forgetting that her baby is there
  • God will not leave or forget us
• Ruether - Sophia 


  God is wise. In the Old Testament, God’s wisdom is often personified.

  When this happens, the wisdom of God is described and treated as a female - Proverbs - wisdom is referred to as a 'she'

  The Greek word for wisdom is sophia - a feminine word.

  In other words, instead of male language to talk about God, we find female language. God is ‘feminised’ rather than being seen as a man.
• Ruether 


  Ruether concludes from this that the male image of God (as father, as King, as Warrior…etc) should not be seen as defining who God is.

  God can be seen as female as well as male.

  Femininity, Ruether argues, has as much right to be seen as an aspect of God’s identity as maleness. Jesus is said to be the incarnation of God and if God can be seen to be female or have female aspects, then surely Jesus must also.
• Daly 


  Daly believed that Christianity had failed and that God should be castrated because Christianity has reinforced rather than opposed male superiority, as can be seen in many Bible passages.

  unholy trinity of rape, war and genocide - all characterised and propelled by the patriarchy

  • War is defended by what Daly calls a ‘phallic morality’ and a ‘phallic mentality’.
  • women need to seek liberation from this moral hypocrisy.
• Daly 


  return to pagan nature traditions

  Daly recommends a return to ancient pagan nature religions which centred on the female and Mother Nature as the essence of true spirituality.

  These kinds of religion (which Christianity replaced in many cultures) had female deities as their centre.

  Daly wants a return to these ancient Goddess/Mother Nature religions since she believes that it is not enough for men and women to be equal. Men must learn to be silent and listen to women.