The World of Religions No. 60 – July/August 2013 –
A Jewish story tells that God actually created Eve before Adam. Since Eve was bored in paradise, she asked God to give her a companion. After careful consideration, God finally granted her request: "All right, I will create man. But be careful, he is very sensitive: never tell him that you were created before him, he would take it very badly. Let this remain a secret between us... between women!"
If God exists, it is obvious that he is not gendered. We can therefore ask ourselves why most of the great religions have made an exclusively masculine representation of him. As the dossier of this issue reminds us, this has not always been the case. The cult of the Great Goddess undoubtedly preceded that of "Yahweh, Lord of Armies" , and goddesses occupied a prominent place in the pantheons of the first civilizations. The masculinization of the clergy is undoubtedly one of the main reasons for this reversal, which took place over the three millennia preceding our era: how could a city and a religion governed by men venerate a supreme divinity of the opposite sex? With the development of patriarchal societies, the cause is therefore understood: the supreme god, or the only god, can no longer be conceived as feminine. Not only in his representation, but also in his character and function: his attributes of power, domination, and authority are valued. In heaven as on earth, the world is ruled by a dominant male.
Even if the feminine character of the divine will persist within religions through various mystical or esoteric currents, it is ultimately only in the modern era that this hypermasculinization of God is truly called into question. Not that we are moving from a masculine to a feminine representation of the divine. We are rather witnessing a rebalancing. God is no longer essentially perceived as a formidable judge, but above all as good and merciful; believers are increasingly numerous in believing in his benevolent providence. One could say that the typically "paternal" figure of God tends to fade in favor of a more typically "maternal" representation. Similarly, sensitivity, emotion, fragility, are valued in the spiritual experience. This evolution is obviously not unrelated to the revaluation of women in our modern societies which increasingly affects religions, in particular by allowing women to access teaching and worship leadership positions. It also reflects the recognition, in our modern societies, of qualities and values identified as more "typically" feminine, even if they obviously concern men as much as women: compassion, openness, acceptance, protection of life. Faced with the worrying macho surge of religious fundamentalisms of all stripes, I am convinced that this revaluation of women and this feminization of the divine constitute the main key to a true spiritual renewal within religions. Assuredly, woman is the future of God.
I would like to take this opportunity to salute two women whom our loyal readers know well. Jennifer Schwarz, who was editor-in-chief of your magazine, is now leaving for new adventures. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for the enthusiasm and generosity with which she has invested herself in her role for more than five years. I also warmly welcome her successor in this position: Virginie Larousse. The latter has long edited an academic journal devoted to religions and taught the history of religions at the University of Burgundy. She has collaborated for many years with Le Monde des Religions .