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C. S. Lewis, or whatever it is that I'm in the mood to discuss.
Wednesday, September 08, 2021
The gender of God
God is referred to in religious traditions in male terms typically, but God is not, and cannot be a literally gendered being. God, after all, does not reproduce.
God does indeed have a male gendered identity, as described by Jesus himself. He is the Father, not the Mother or the Thing. Jesus and all apostles refer to the Father.
I would assume God does not have a sex, male or female.
The question is meaningless. Scripture uses human language to refer to spiritual realities which may not translate easily. Thus, we speak of God's face, His hands, His breath... even His wings (is He a bird?). Even Jesus (definitely a male) compares Himself to a mother hen (Luke 13:34).
It's the "active/passive" principles, no? Father and mother?
From Aquinas:
But here a point of difference must be noted. What is conceived in the intellect is a likeness of the thing understood and represents its species; and so it seems to be a sort of offspring of the intellect. Therefore, when the intellect understands something other than itself, the thing understood is, so to speak, the father of the word conceived in the intellect, and the intellect itself resembles rather a mother, whose function is such that conception takes place in her. But when the intellect understands itself, the word conceived is related to the understanding person as offspring to father. Consequently, since we are using the term “Word” in the latter sense, that is, according as God understands Himself, the Word itself must be related to God, from whom the Word proceeds, as Son to Father.
What were considered masculine and feminine traits when the scriptures were written? I haven't looked into that much.
I look at masculine and feminine through the filter of my own experience--childhood, friendships, public school, military, the faith, church, university, marriage, business, fatherhood. Also public ceremonies: baptisms, graduations, marriages, deaths.
Based completely on my own limited experience, I see God, the God of the Jews and Christians, as more masculine.
As you and Starhopper exchange barbs over Biden and Trump quotes, do you think Biden is "Hitler" as the crazy Star guy wrote about Trump?
Do you think Biden is going to invade Canada and Mexico and make them into a land of white supremacsits? Do you think Biden will put all the Jews in concentration camps and line them up for slaughter? Do you think Biden will subjugate the church under national socialism?
Please tell me you're not as crazy as the Star guy and see Biden as just an old guy who should have retired long ago.
11 comments:
God does indeed have a male gendered identity, as described by Jesus himself. He is the Father, not the Mother or the Thing. Jesus and all apostles refer to the Father.
I would assume God does not have a sex, male or female.
The question is meaningless. Scripture uses human language to refer to spiritual realities which may not translate easily. Thus, we speak of God's face, His hands, His breath... even His wings (is He a bird?). Even Jesus (definitely a male) compares Himself to a mother hen (Luke 13:34).
LOL. You know the Thing.
Still nowhere near as bad as our former president telling us we all needed to make sacrifices "for the furniture and the future" of our children.
It's the "active/passive" principles, no? Father and mother?
From Aquinas:
But here a point of difference must be noted. What is conceived in the intellect is a likeness of the thing understood and represents its species; and so it seems to be a sort of offspring of the intellect. Therefore, when the intellect understands something other than itself, the thing understood is, so to speak, the father of the word conceived in the intellect, and the intellect itself resembles rather a mother, whose function is such that conception takes place in her. But when the intellect understands itself, the word conceived is related to the understanding person as offspring to father. Consequently, since we are using the term “Word” in the latter sense, that is, according as God understands Himself, the Word itself must be related to God, from whom the Word proceeds, as Son to Father.
https://isidore.co/aquinas/Compendium.htm#39
What were considered masculine and feminine traits when the scriptures were written? I haven't looked into that much.
I look at masculine and feminine through the filter of my own experience--childhood, friendships, public school, military, the faith, church, university, marriage, business, fatherhood. Also public ceremonies: baptisms, graduations, marriages, deaths.
Based completely on my own limited experience, I see God, the God of the Jews and Christians, as more masculine.
Hey Miller,
As you and Starhopper exchange barbs over Biden and Trump quotes, do you think Biden is "Hitler" as the crazy Star guy wrote about Trump?
Do you think Biden is going to invade Canada and Mexico and make them into a land of white supremacsits? Do you think Biden will put all the Jews in concentration camps and line them up for slaughter? Do you think Biden will subjugate the church under national socialism?
Please tell me you're not as crazy as the Star guy and see Biden as just an old guy who should have retired long ago.
Every president runs his mouth, so every president says stupid things. Obama said plenty of stupid things, in all 57 states he visited.
I do think a Biden jab does not require a Trump jab to balance the scales, but I would also request this topic not devolve into politics.
That's the "thing". Some people just can't laugh at what political figures say. It's all too serious.
God certainly has a sense of humor or he wouldn't give us politicians to laugh at.
A propos of nothing other than that today is September 11th, THIS is how I choose to remember/commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
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