Feminine dimension of God—the Holy Spirit

To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:8-10)

Not one of us is able to fully comprehend who God is or or how God works. What is important to know about the Holy Spirit is that she acts among us. She works in us so that we can be remade by God to be more like God. She is God present in each of us:

Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. (Psalm 51:11)

The Biblical Hebrew word for spirit is ruach (grammatically feminine), which means wind, breath, inspiration. The Greek word for spirit, pneuma, has no grammatical gender. However, the Holy Spirit is often translated in masculine terms in English and the church has institutionalised the Spirit by tying its 'activity very tightly to ecclesiastical office and ordained ministry' (Johnson 129).

The custom of thinking of the Holy Spirit as feminine has almost vanished to the extent that she has become almost invisible and to refer to the Spirit as 'her can provoke nervous laughter' (Osiek). Although, in some circles, Mary, the mother of Jesus, has been credited with actions and names that are those of the Spirit. As an example, 'when most of us say "God", the Holy Spirit never comes immediately to mind' (Johnson 130). She has has become 'faceless, shadowy, anonymous, half-known, homeless, watered down, the poor relation, Cinderella, marginalized by being modeled on women' (Johnson 131).

Reclaiming the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit sometimes appears like a man and sometimes like a woman. She always points us towards love within our communities, she cannot be used to justify patriarchal structures. As creator she is far from a distant, detached God; she is 'intelligent, boundless in power, of unlimited greatness, generous in goodness, whom time cannot measure' (Johnson 148). She is God in the world: pouring faith into us, giving us life, wisdom and understanding, encouraging and moving us to compassion for others, enabling us to be a part of God's work.

When we forget the Holy Spirit we are lead towards patriarchy and male domination. Rediscovering the Holy Spirit as maternal gift works towards rebalancing the doctrine of God and promoting the value of women.

Some of the names we could reclaim for the Holy Spirit are Advocate ( John 14:16), Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding (Isaiah 11:2), the Spirit of Grace, (Hebrews 10:29), the Spirit of "Holiness" (Romans 1:4), the Spirit of Eternity (Hebrews 9:14), the Spirit of Glory (1 Peter 4:14).

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