HELP

Blurb

Christians are used to calling God “Father”. It is one of our favourite names for God. Yet is God really male, or even in some sense masculine?

In this book I’ll argue that any divine being, who is in some way more male or masculine than “he” is female or feminine, is merely a god. To resource a Christian spirituality which avoids worshipping such a mere god, I will present examples of motherly talk of God from the Bible, and from great Christian theologians from the past. I will also try to help you explore ways of relating to God that more fully reflect “his” nature.

As presently conceived the book will contain these chapters:

  1. Talking Pictures
  2. Biblical Talk of the Motherly God
  3. Jesus and the Father
  4. Early Theology of God as Mother
  5. Theology of God as Both Father and Mother
  6. Experiencing God as Mother
  7. Christian Talk of the Motherly God
    8. Bibliography of Works Cited

Author

Dr Tim Bulkeley has taught Old Testament at Carey Baptist College and the University of Auckland (NZ) since 1993, before that he was a missionary in Africa and a Baptist pastor in England. This book covers material he first researched for his PhD at the University of Glasgow.

Language (a personal note)

I grew up using “he” language for God, and most current alternatives sound impersonal to me, while the Christian God is deeply even essentially personal, so I’ll use masculine pronouns for God but with scare quotes, which will be especially fun when we get to talking about “his” womb :)

Genre

This is a new kind of book. A book you discuss with others, and with the author, as you read. It may even be edited and rewritten as a result of your comments. This is the 2009 edition. If you are interested in what you read and would like to know when the book is available also in print please let me know.

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