Friday, November 26, 2021

Congregations reconsider God's gender to be inclusive

Lead story

Andrei Rublev's icon showing the three Angels being hosted by Abraham at Mambré. Early 15th century. Image by Andrei Rublev courtesy of Wikimedia/Creative Commons

Editor's note:

Recent conversations around gender pronouns have fueled a somewhat dormant, if sometimes divisive, debate on the matter of God’s gender. Many congregations are actively deciding how to refer to God’s gender in their liturgies, hymns and prayers. Religion News Service national reporter, Kathryn Post, spoke with seminary professors, worship songwriters and pastors about how they approach "gendering" God in their work. “When I lead a service, I am the pastor of the community. Not everyone is a womanist or feminist, and they may not be where I am about language,” said The Rev. Wil Gafney, a Hebrew scholar and Episcopal priest. “As pastor, I’m hosting, in some way, the community in the presence of God. So it has to be accessible for as many as possible.”

A picture of Roxanne Stone, Managing Editor at Religion News Service.
 

Religion News

Conflict over abortion laws won’t abate if Roe v. Wade falls

On both sides of America’s abortion debate, activists are convinced that Roe v. Wade — the 1973 Supreme Court ruling establishing a nationwide right to abortion — is imperiled as never before. Yet no matter how the current conservative-dominated court handles pending high-profile abortion cases, there will be no monolithic, nationwide change. By David Crary/The Associated Press 

In Catholic Italy, ‘de-baptism’ is gaining popularity

Though data is sparse, the church and Italian atheists agree that the 2-decade-old process is becoming more common. By Sara Badilini/Religion News Service

A new show at the Brooklyn Museum presents the pop-art master as a man caught between his Catholic faith and his queer identity.  By Jillian Cheney/Religion News Service

Defrocked Cardinal McCarrick named in sex abuse lawsuit

Defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is facing another sexual abuse lawsuit, from a man who claims McCarrick abused him in the 1980s in New Jersey.  In the lawsuit filed in state court, Michael Reading alleged McCarrick engaged in sexual contact with him in 1986 while on a trip to the New Jersey shore, around the same time McCarrick ordained Reading as a priest. By David Porter/The Associated Press

Tourists visit the Church of the Nativity, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. The Church of the Nativity, built on the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born, is wrapping up a three-year restoration project just in time for the normally busy Christmas season. While the region is finally welcoming foreign tourists after a year-and-a-half-long COVID shutdown, few travelers are making their way to the birthplace of Jesus this holiday season (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Christmas in Bethlehem: Gilded treasures, but few tourists

A towering wooden screen once blackened with soot from worshippers’ candles is being restored to its gilded glory in the Church of the Nativity, built at the site where many believe Jesus was born. But few visitors are expected to see the work during the upcoming Christmas holiday season in biblical Bethlehem. By Ilan Ben-Zion/The Associated Press

 

Commentary and Analysis

The danger we're facing goes beyond a rogue killer. By Robert P. Jones/Religion News Service

A scholar of Christian spirituality argues that prayers are meant to bring together a faith community – something apps aren't likely to achieve. By Dorian Llywelyn for The Conversation

In the late 19th century, a satiric weekly stoked fears about how Jewish immigrants would change New York City's character. By Jonathan Sarna for The Conversation

The expressions of gratitude around the world can inform us about the different ways in which human beings relate to one another. By Jeremy David Engels and Elaine Hsieh for The Conversation

 
Sikh devotees take a holy dip in the waters of the Golden Temple to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, in Amritsar, India, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Prabhjot Gill)

Sikh devotees take a holy dip in the waters of the Golden Temple to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, in Amritsar, India, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Prabhjot Gill)

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  • This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
  • The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
 
 

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