The Church of England is set to launch a project on “gendered language” referencing God in church services later this year, marking a departure from centuries of tradition.
The Rev Joanna Stobart, from the Diocese of Bath and Wells, asked what steps were being taken to offer congregants alternatives to referring to God with male pronouns and if there was any update “to develop more inclusive language in our authorized liturgy,” The Telegraph reports.
She also asked bishops “to provide more options for those who wish to use authorized liturgy and speak of God in a non-gendered way, particularly in authorized absolutions where many of the prayers offered for use refer to God using male pronouns,” according to the outlet.
The move has been criticized by conservatives who warn that “male and female imagery is not interchangeable” and that any changes to the use of male pronouns for God would be “moving the doctrine of the Church away from being grounded in the Scriptures.”
The Rev Ian Paul, a member of the General Synod and the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, warned against any departure from the original scriptures saying: “The use of male pronouns for God should not be understood as implying that God is male – which is a heresy. God is not sexed, unlike humanity.”
The Bible uses feminine imagery and metaphors of God, but primarily identifies God using masculine pronouns, names, and imagery. Male and female imagery is not interchangeable,” Rev Paul went on to say.
The Church of England responded to the criticism saying: “This is nothing new. Christians have recognised since ancient times that God is neither male nor female, yet the variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship.”
The spokesman added that there are “no plans to abolish or substantially revise currently authorized liturgies, and no such changes could be made without extensive legislation.”
The project on gendered language referencing God in church services will be led by the Liturgical Commission and the Faith and Order Commission.
The details of the project remain unknown, but the move has been welcomed by liberal Christians who claim that “a theological misreading of God as exclusively male is a driver of much continuing discrimination and sexism against women.”
Most translations of the Bible refer to God in masculine terms thousands of times, using male pronouns such as “He” and “Him” and referring to God as “Father.” This has been the tradition in Western Christianity for centuries.
