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Does God need gender?

H

Heloise

Member
The traditional Abrahamic god is regarded as male though many Christian theologians seem to regard Him as both and neither. Many Pagans believe in a male God and female Goddess as a great cosmic duality (however the role of the God has diminished over time).

My question is does the concept of a genderless god exist in any tradition? And if it did, would our language need to impose gender on it, since in English personhood is always gendered?
 
Thana

Thana

Lady
Heloise said:
The traditional Abrahamic god is regarded as male though many Christian theologians seem to regard Him as both and neither. Many Pagans believe in a male God and female Goddess as a great cosmic duality (however the role of the God has diminished over time).

My question is does the concept of a genderless god exist in any tradition? And if it did, would our language need to impose gender on it, since in English personhood is always gendered?
Click to expand...

Mm.. no.. Most Christians agree God isn't male or female.
 
Tarheeler

Tarheeler

Argumentative Curmudgeon
Premium Member
My current rabbi often begins a devar Torah referring to God as "He", switches to "She" after a couple of sentences, and then switches back again. He even includes an "It" every now and then.
You can always tell when we have Christian visitors by the gasps from the audience.

In Judaism God is officially sexless, but we do assign gender based on the aspect of God we are invoking: Avinu Malkeinu.... the Shechinah....

As for why we assign genders, I think it has a lot do with the society the religion developed in and with the language that was used. The ancient Israelites were a patriarchal society, and Hebrew has never been a gender-neutral language; everything, from tables to the different aspects of God, is assigned a gender.
 
Katzpur

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Heloise said:
The traditional Abrahamic god is regarded as male though many Christian theologians seem to regard Him as both and neither. Many Pagans believe in a male God and female Goddess as a great cosmic duality (however the role of the God has diminished over time).

My question is does the concept of a genderless god exist in any tradition? And if it did, would our language need to impose gender on it, since in English personhood is always gendered?
Click to expand...
I'd say most Jews, Christians and Muslims would say that God has no form and therefore no gender. Mormons are an exception to this, as they believe that God has the form of a man.
 
Katzpur

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Oldsoul said:
Why Did Jesus refer to God as his "Father In Heaven"?
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Because that is, in fact, what their relationship was and is. God was/is Jesus Christ's "Father." Christians make it so much more complicated than it needs to be.
 
Oldsoul

Oldsoul

Member
Katzpur said:
Because that is, in fact, what their relationship was and is. God was/is Jesus Christ's "Father." Christians make it so much more complicated than it needs to be.
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Well I was never confused on the issue.. considering A female father is farfetched. .

And freaky..
 
Quintessence

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Heloise said:
My question is does the concept of a genderless god exist in any tradition? And if it did, would our language need to impose gender on it, since in English personhood is always gendered?
Click to expand...

Yes to the first (whether you really meant gender or you actually meant sex), no to the second, and for reference, English has never required gendering or sexing persons as part of the language.
 
Terese

Terese

Mangalam Pundarikakshah
Staff member
Premium Member
Brahman is beyond gender. But it has many forms to which we worship. Vishnu is male, and Durga is female. Looking at nothing and worshiping God is something many people do, but we have mirthis, statues of God for us to revere.
 
Valjean

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I think God is generally addressed using whatever linguistic forms denote high status. In languages (language?) where gender equates with sex, that would call for a masculine noun class.
 
Politesse

Politesse

Amor Vincit Omnia
Heloise said:
The traditional Abrahamic god is regarded as male though many Christian theologians seem to regard Him as both and neither. Many Pagans believe in a male God and female Goddess as a great cosmic duality (however the role of the God has diminished over time).

My question is does the concept of a genderless god exist in any tradition? And if it did, would our language need to impose gender on it, since in English personhood is always gendered?
Click to expand...
No, I don't think God needs gender nearly so much as her followers feel the need to assign one. God is obviously capable of exhibiting the full range of domains aptitudes and personality that people like to assign to either gender.

And the Bible says that male and female are the image of God, yes?

Even though most actual Christians tend to think of God as male, that's more like an assumption than a reasoned position. Theologians tend to come down on the side of divinity being beyond human estimations and limitations of any kind, supposed gender roles included.
 
The Sum of Awe

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
If God is male, wouldn't that imply he has male reproductive organs? If so what is the point of having them?
If God is female, the same as above.

A masculine/feminine character, however, seems to be the main point to identifying gender of God. Pantheistically speaking, God's character is both and more
 
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