Evangelical Feminism: A New Path to Liberalism?

31: GOD OUR MOTHER 229

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the

name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every

knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth....

(Phil. 2:9-10).

How can Smith even read these passages if he tries to “avoid using
masculine pronouns for the risen, transcendent Christ”? So eager is
Smith to deny the masculinity of Jesus that he has come to the point
where he avoids using language like the New Testament itself.^6
Another book sold on the CBE website is God, A Word for Girls
and Boys, by Jann Aldredge-Clanton.^7 This book teaches us to pray
prayers like, “God, our Mother, we thank you that you love us so much
to want the best for us. Thank you for trusting us enough to let us do
things on our own.... Stay near us and help us to become all that we
can be. Amen.”^8
In the introduction to the book, Aldredge-Clanton says,

Masculine God-language hinders many children from establishing

relationships of trust with God. In addition, calling God “he” causes

boys to commit the sin of arrogance.... Calling the supreme power

of the universe “he” causes girls to commit the sin of devaluing them-

selves. For the sake of “these little ones” we must change the way we

talk about God and about human beings.^9

This is a book promoted by Christians for Biblical Equality.
Catherine Kroeger, one of the founders of Christians for Biblical
Equality, has also advocated calling God “Mother.” In an article,
“Women Elders... Sinners or Servants?” Richard Kroeger and
Catherine Kroeger write:

So far we have referred to God as “He” and “Him” because most of

us are used to employing these terms when we think of the Holy One.

(^6) Randy Stinson (“Our Mother Who Art in Heaven: A Brief Overview and Critique of
Evangelical Feminists and the Use of Feminine God-Language,” Journal for Biblical Manhood
and Womanhood 8/2 [Fall, 2003], 20-34) notes that Smith is an openly professing homosex-
ual pastor, and cites Smith’s writings on homosexuality (25-26).
(^7) Jann Aldredge-Clanton, God, A Word for Girls and Boys (Louisville, Ky.: Glad River, 1993).
(^8) Ibid., 23.
(^9) Ibid., 11.