Abstract
God is experienced in heightened awareness that can only be represented in images and symbols. According to the Old Testament there was one male God, Yahweh, imaged as a father, king, judge, shepherd and more. Since God-images are cultural creations related to the time and place in which they were conceived, the male character of God is a natural reflection of the patriarchal culture of the ancient Near East. Twenty-first century women have difficulty relating to the male God-image and patriarchal church language, both of which justify the subordinate position of women in church and society. Investigation into Old Testament religion reveals that the way Israelite women dealt with the single male God opens the way for contemporary women to do likewise and create images of God with which they can identify.
Highlights
People experience God in heightened awareness that can only be represented by images and symbols
The male images of God have become increasingly problematic for women since they typically justify the subordinate position of women in church and society
The history of ancient Israelite religion is explored in order to ascertain the context of the male monotheistic image of God in the Old Testament
Summary
People experience God in heightened awareness that can only be represented by images and symbols. The point is that many, if not all of the images we have of God are of a male figure This is understandable, because human beings, when speaking of God, quite naturally choose language which will project onto the divinity the highest values that they hold. The male images of God have become increasingly problematic for women since they typically justify the subordinate position of women in church and society. This problem, which goes hand in hand with the tyranny of patriarchal language and a certain view of the authority of the Bible, is introduced in the first of three parts of this article. Once we understand its context and the way in which women in Old Testament times, who had difficulty in relating to a single male god, dealt with the problem, we conclude with suggestions for a way forward for today’s women with their Bible and their God in a male-dominated world
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