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Can monotheists see the divine through the feminine?

Buddha Dharma

Buddha Dharma

Dharma Practitioner
Monotheistic terminology tends to refer to God as 'He'. However, there appear to be a number of opinions to what that means.

Some say God is actually male, and that the gender is the highest reflection of the divine in creation. Some say God is neither male or female, but that male is a concept of usefulness.

My question is, do any of the monotheistic religions believe God can be seen or approached as female?

Either God literally being female, and the gender being the highest reflection of divinity- or that female is merely a concept of use in approaching a God ultimately beyond gender?

I got to thinking about this question when pondering the concept of Shakti: the concept of the Ultimate being female, or expressing as such in the Dharmic religions.
 
Tumah

Tumah

Veteran Member
Most monotheistic religions today descend from Judaism which uses Hebrew as it's main language. Hebrew is gender specific so "he" is just a reflection of the noun used to mean G-d. Besides for that though, Jewish sources generally take the apophatic approach to G-d, so G-d "Himself" is neither male nor female and can be expressed through male and female archetypes, which we use.
 
Buddha Dharma

Buddha Dharma

Dharma Practitioner
Tumah said:
Jewish sources generally take the apophatic approach to G-d, so G-d "Himself" is neither male nor female and can be expressed through male and female archetypes, which we use.
Click to expand...

I don't hear much about the female archetypes.
 
Buddha Dharma

Buddha Dharma

Dharma Practitioner
Tumah said:
The amount you hear about Judaism is significantly lower than what is actually taught by Judaism to an extent you'd have difficulty believing until you're exposed to it.
Click to expand...

Is the Shekinah feminine? Truth be told, that's only something I hear thrown about. I actually have no idea what the Shekinah is even meant to represent.

Don't feel obligated to answer my questions though. I understand having a tradition that values it's teachings and doesn't go handing out the deeper knowledge to any Tom. There are a things Buddhist teachers might not necessarily tell lifelong laymen.
 
Tumah

Tumah

Veteran Member
Buddha Dharma said:
Is the Shekinah feminine? Truth be told, that's only something I hear thrown about. I actually have no idea what the Shekinah is even meant to represent.

Don't feel obligated to answer my questions though. I understand having a tradition that values it's teachings and doesn't go handing out the deeper knowledge to any Tom. There are a things Buddhist teachers might not necessarily tell lifelong laymen.
Click to expand...
Yes, they represent G-d in the feminine archetypes.
 
Epic Beard Man

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
Buddha Dharma said:
My question is, do any of the monotheistic religions believe God can be seen or approached as female?
Click to expand...

Judaic and Islamic philosophy would state that God is unlike anything that is created in the universe but all things proceed from divine emanation. Therefore yes, divinely manifest things that are feminine do have a divine presence from within. I would like to think God is not linear like me or corporeal like me. I would like to think God is beyond me, but the idea of me, is not beyond God. The references of he, and him are a byproduct of the patriarchal influence of language.
 
Quintessence

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
There are multiple religions that approach the idea of the sacred through pantheism, or the notion that all is god(s). Where pantheism is monotheistic, it would inherently incorporate all human ideas about sex and gender.
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Buddha Dharma said:
Monotheistic terminology tends to refer to God as 'He'. However, there appear to be a number of opinions to what that means.

Some say God is actually male, and that the gender is the highest reflection of the divine in creation. Some say God is neither male or female, but that male is a concept of usefulness.

My question is, do any of the monotheistic religions believe God can be seen or approached as female?

Either God literally being female, and the gender being the highest reflection of divinity- or that female is merely a concept of use in approaching a God ultimately beyond gender?

I got to thinking about this question when pondering the concept of Shakti: the concept of the Ultimate being female, or expressing as such in the Dharmic religions.
Click to expand...
Why would "the divine" be gendered?
 
syo

syo

Well-Known Member
Buddha Dharma said:
My question is, do any of the monotheistic religions believe God can be seen or approached as female?
Click to expand...
in my religion (christian orhodox) I believe in the Holy Trinity, and the world being a creation. the Father is male, the creation of the Father (our world/the church) is female, the Son (who is the medium between Father and creation/the church) is male and he encompasses female too, and the Holy Spirit is neutral.
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Buddha Dharma said:
Christians seem to refer to God as male.
Click to expand...
I realize that. So Christians have anthropomorphized their God to make him male. What I'm asking is why the response would be to anthropomorphize God in a slightly different way instead of making God sexless?

What would it mean to say that God is male or female? Does God even have gametes? Does God lay eggs?
 
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