"The Female Imagery of the Triune God”

The doctrine of the Trinity is an example of where many non-Christians and Christians often dispute over the validity and soundness between the relationship of God the Father being equal with God the Son and God the Spirit. There is a tendency to revert from thinking because using the mind nowadays is resembles how the Gnostics did: evil because of it's reliability on humans, which is material. However, this Pelagean view of rationality is itself an intellectual argument against the limitation of our mind; ergo, the self-refuting nature behind this challenge.

In postmodern theology there is a common and deeply concerning strategy generally: using the finite limits of the human mind as an excuse for ignoring or supplementing what God has said in His Word. Shouldn't the fact of our finitude move us in exactly the opposite direction, so that our admitted inabilities make us more careful about only believing what the Bible says about God?

Update:

Kim Riddlebarger writes about a new case to be considered in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) on the feminizations of the Trinity:

"According to an article in the Christian Post, the PCUSA will consider a proposal this summer to allow for a greater use of the doctrine of the Trinity in worship by speaking of the three persons not as "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," but as "Mother, Child and Womb." And no, I'm not making this up!"

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Presbyterians this June will be asked to ratify a new report on Trinitarian theology that describes the cornerstone doctrine in various metaphorical terms, including a controversial description of the triune God as “Mother, Child and Womb.”

“[The report] aims to assist the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in reclaiming the doctrine of Trinity in theology, worship and life,” the introduction to the 40-page report, “God’s Love Overflowing,” states.

The report, which has been underway since 2000, includes theological and liturgical sessions that are meant for use in study sessions on the doctrine.

“The doctrine is widely neglected or poorly understood in many of our congregations,” the statement reads. “The members of our work group are convinced that the doctrine of trinity is crucial to our faith, worship, and service.”

Describing the Trinity has often proved contentious in mainline denominations, with some adhering to the classical Biblical description of the Triune Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and others adopting more liberal terms such as the Triune “Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier.”

From the onset, the report acknowledges such differences over “new ways of speaking of the Trinity,” but goes on to say that no name, no metaphor, no set of words or phrases – however thoughtful, poetic or profound – will ever be able to say everything that could be said about the mystery of God's love made known to us above all in Jesus Christ and sealed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit."

In what is likely the report’s most controversial segment, the panel explores the “female imagery of the Triune God” – a suggestion that is sure to draw fire from conservative Christians.

"The overflowing love of God finds expression in the biblical depiction of God as compassionate mother (Isa 49:15; 66:13), beloved child (Mt 3:17), and life-giving womb (Isa 46:3),” the report states. “The divine wisdom (hochmah in Hebrew, Sophia in Greek) is portrayed in the Bible as a woman who preaches in the streets, gives instruction, advocates justice, builds houses, and acts as a gracious hostess (Prov 1,8,9)."

Think you can handle the rest of this article? Proceed with a mind bucket to dump it out as soon as you are finished reading. Click here: Presbyterians Consider Triune 'Mother, Child, and Womb'

Cross-Blogged at Apologia Christi