I just read two awesome books called Finding Holy Spirit Mother by scholar Ally Kateusz and Our Mother The Holy Spirit by scholar Marianne Widmalm. According to them, there is good evidence that the early church and Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as Mother. This feminine metaphor for the Holy Spirit was edited right …
A Brief History of the Holy Spirit as Mother Read More »
I may always think of Rachel Held Evans in May, the month in which she died last year. May is also Mother’s Day month. One of her last tweets in April of last year was this: I’ve written four books, hundreds of blog posts, and dozens of articles, and only once have I used a …
Four Reasons God Is Your Mother, Too Read More »
When people tell you that there is no “Mother” title for God in the Bible, talk to them about El Shaddai. Through the ages, translators and scholars have only guessed at the meaning of El Shaddai, which is usually rendered as “God Almighty.” They believe the root “shad” must refer to the Hebrew word shadad meaning …
El Shaddai, The Mother Name of God Read More »
“Do not wean me, good Jesus, from the breasts of thy consolation….” The monk of Farne Let’s talk about the history of the metaphor of mother for Jesus. It starts with Jesus Himself, and moves right on through the minds of church fathers and theologians, to the middle ages. Caring for Children Jesus began this tradition when he …
Jesus as Mother: a Brief History Read More »
There’s a lot of talk now among Christians about the movie, The Shack, and whether it’s all right for Christians to even see it. Some are asking, “Is it okay that God is portrayed as a woman?” and even “Is it okay to call God Mother?” These are good questions at any time. The usual …
Mother is Simile to a Metaphor: A New Look at an Old Argument Read More »
“Bridle of untamed colts, Wing of unwandering birds, Ship’s sure helm, Shepherd of royal lambs… Christ Jesus, heavenly milk from the sweet breasts of the bride of grace, squeezed from your wisdom. The childlike, with tender mouths, are cherished, filled with the dewy spirit of the Word’s breasts, sing together simple praises, true hymns to …
No Word Picture Is an Island Read More »
God is spirit, Jesus told Photina, the woman at the well, in John 4:24. I’ve been reading snippets of Near Death Experiences, and consistently, people agree that God is spirit, electric with light and love. Not human, not male, not female. So why do we need to call God Mother? Why not just do away …
Why Gender-Neutral Language Is Not Enough Read More »
Mother God bugs people. She rocks the church-boat. She downright infuriates some. So, how can calling God Mother help us? The loving, safe associations we often have with Mother change our inner image of God, or feelings and attitude toward God, sometimes dramatically. The mother metaphor helps us form a truer picture of God than …
What the Mother Metaphor Reveals about God Read More »
