Language about God
Introduction
People are increasingly having discomfort in the description of God in the feminine gender. This is due to the patriarchy trends throughout the Bible and other Canons. The older people have a problem with accepting such arguments since from the past, patriarchy has been the norm, and therefore any criticism is unwelcome. Patriarchy is the design of society in the context of male dominance, where the family is recognized through the father or the eldest son. This tends to be the social discrimination of women since they are put under male dominance. Patriarchy makes people feel uncomfortable with female Images of power due to the traditions that are rooted in the past. Even in the Bible, God appeared to appear before men, and changing the norm is not easy. Muslims also have had long histories of patriarchy and male involvement with the Divine One. Feminists believe that patriarchy destroys the humanity of both women and men since women are overlooked.
Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Feminists are against the portrayal of God as a male. They argue that it is easier for men to be more like God because he is in the Masculine gender. This makes it hard for women to aspire to be like God because He is not of the feminine gender and thus argue that God should be described in a gender that suits both women and men. These feminists also argue about the naming of God, whereby calling him “Father” implies that he has no sex, yet calling Him “Mother” Implies that He is a woman. They feel that it is unfair and insensitive to use masculine names to imply that God has no gender yet, and when feminine gender is used, it means that God is exposed to sexuality. Plascow argues that “The language we use reflects and, in turn, shapes the way we construct our experience of the world.” This means that the metaphors are created to suit by humans, and my be in different social and cultural contexts. Such feminists argue that times are changing, and language is on the change. Therefore, how God was referred to in the past, cannot be applicable in modern times. Other metaphors are used in the Bible to describe God. The metaphor, “Ruler of Heaven and Earth,” removes the sexist ideologies in words such as “King.” That metaphor does not refer to God in any feminine or masculine way and thus can be a useful reference. “Sovereign” has also been used to refer to God and is not sexist. This can be used as a replacement for words such as, “Lord” which have a terrible history of slavery. There are also suggestions that God should be referred to as “Parent.” This substitutes the names “Father” and “Mother.” This will ensure that God covers both genders without Gender prejudice.
There are advantages of using metaphors that do not carry gender histories in the description of God. This allows men and women to unite and feel part of the religion without having a bias on one gender. It also encourages equality of both genders since women will not be mistreated in social contexts such as the family. Men and women will equal. However, using such metaphors has shortcomings such as erasing history and also plays a part in altering the Canons by changing its original meaning. This will lead to a change of the intended meaning, which is forbidden.
Works Cited
Clarkson, Shannon. “Language about God.” Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses, vol. 18, no. 1, 1989, pp. 37-49.
Gillman, Neil. “The Feminist Critique of God Language.” My Jewish Learning, 17 Jan. 2003, www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-feminist-critique-of-god-language/.
Shaikh, Sa’diyya. “Allah, Hidden Treasures, and the Divine Feminine.” The Immanent Frame, 27 May 2019, tif.ssrc.org/2019/05/27/allah-hidden-treasures-and-the-divine-feminine/.