Women and the Word: The Gender of God in the New Testament and the Spirituality of Women

by Sandra M. Schneiders

Suggestions for resolving the problem of an exclusively male God-image that are both faithful to the tradition and liberating for women. †

Genres: Religion, Theology, Christianity, Feminism, Nonfiction, Womens, Spirituality

88 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1986

Reviews

[Staci Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the most life changing, and faith challenging, book I've read in years. This is a must read for anyone interested in feminist readings of scripture. Her case is accessible, well articulated, and displays a thoughtful critique of patriarchy that will challenge any reader without isolating even more conservative theological traditions.

[Brianna Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book… wow.. I’m stunned! Since I was a young girl, I felt so unseen in the Bible. The main characters are all male and the historical context is set where women are seen as property. It’s painful, it’s gritty, it seems so unfair. This book makes so much sense! God the father is a metaphor like what?!? It makes sense but the church likes to make you think it’s the only way to see him while frankly I’ve been most comforted by God when he is tender towards me with a woman like tenderness. When the Holy Spirit, when she gives me words for people, it’s when I feel most encouraged and happy and like I’m living out my life’s purpose! wow I can’t express how good it feels to call the Holy Spirit a she.. this book really has opened my eyes and while I know God isn’t male nor female, it’s so nice to see why metaphorically the Holy Spirit is more feminine. It’s so sad the church hasn’t embraced the feminine terminology as much as the masculine terminology. Also this book was healing on why due to the time it was written the Bible had to use examples of men as Christ and women as the church/sinners. While it was painful growing up reading the Bible and taking it literally, I know it was necessary for God’s message to be received the way it was intended to. This book does such an excellent job explaining this and many more topics similar in great detail including the reason why Jesus had to be male in this society and how that choice was due to historical context and for God’s message to be received in a way with much greater impact! For such a short read, this book is another life changing one for me, immediately bought this book while I was halfway through it! Just too good and so healing! I wanna see women the way Jesus does, I want to love myself again and my gender.

[Phyllis Fredericksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent addition to my reading of women and God. This was written in 1986 as part of a lecture series at St Mary’s College in Indiana. The author presents arguments and research toward understanding God as female and male. In 76 pages she dispenses quite a bit of wisdom. It all comes down to how we think and speak of God. We need to stop the masculine pronouns and use both female and masculine or more inclusive terms. This won’t happen in the Church, but we can each make it happen for ourselves. I’ve been saying this for a long time!

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short little apology for the Bible not being subsumed into patriarchy. The author offers a feminist defence of the bible in which God is not understood in the Bible in exclusively males terms, nor is God as Father understood in a patriarchal fashion. Jesus' teaching as liberating for women is stressed, and the closing section of the little book argues that Jesus' maleness does not reify God as male nor does it prevent Christ from being God Immanuel to women.

[Breanna Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-argued, fiery, and concise. Just how all theology books ought to be. This book is just 70 pages but it packs a solid punch. If you struggle with the heavy use of male terms for God and the implication this has for women, this book is for you. The final section of the book, on the subversive maleness of Christ, was really great.

[Grant Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some tangential points the author makes with which I would quibble, but otherwise this is an extremely solid case for a retrieval of the femininity of God. I have long been convinced of much of what Schneiders writes in this book, but it was so concise and expertly argued that I will almost certainly return to it again.

[Carolyn Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book, very clear and concise.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is a treasure trove of exploration around the limiting ideas about the gender of God and Jesus.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!!

"To redeem the image of God for women is to empower them to live into the fullness of their humanity, created equally in the image and likeness of God."

[Daria Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for all women struggling with the inherent misogyny of Christianity. Schneiders successfully approaches the issue and encourages women to not only examine the scriptural evidence for a God beyond gender that everyone can embrace, but also demonstrates how creative resilience and imagination can transform our relationship with the Divine.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important for every Christian—especially every Christian woman—to read.