3: The Holy Spirit as Mother, Marriage, the Role of Women, and Church History

The fact that the Holy Spirit as the feminine nature of God is not prevalent in the Church today is not evidence that this is not true or biblical. Women have been oppressed for the vast majority of history (Williams, 2025). This began to change in the 20^th century, at least in the United States in 1920, with women being able to vote (in some countries) (Williams, 2025). Men have dominated Church leadership since the beginning, though there is evidence in the first 3 centuries this was not as much the case – a striking observation given that women were considerably more oppressed during that time than modern times. This speaks to the amazing power of the gospel and Jesus’ love for women and his example in including and teaching them.

Women have been prohibited from teaching men in churches for centuries. Marriage has also been forbidden clergy in certain church denominations for centuries. However, the Bible shows that women were encouraged to teach (see the implications in section 2 of this blog) and the following passage shows God would never forbid marriage: 1 Timothy 4:1-5 says, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. ² Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. ³ They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. ⁴ For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” These ideas are all related. If God had been seen as 2 in 1, Father and Mother, by the majority of the Church from the beginning, would women have been denied leadership and teaching roles for so long – centuries in most Christian traditions? If the fullest revelation of God is that God is Father and Mother, equally male and female, would the Church have forbidden marriage to the clergy for centuries? This is not an idea from the Bible or from God, but one from demons. The Bible says it is demonic teaching to forbid marriage. What the Spirit said according to Paul in 1 Timothy 4 indeed happened… and is still happening today. According to Paul, God would never lead us to forbid marriage. It is a good gift from Him. Further, given that, why would marriage (and family by extension) not be eternal (see section 2 of my blog for the full argument)?

The Bible is very clear in my mind that God is equally masculine and feminine, Father and Mother, God the Father and the Holy Spirit (see section 2 of my blog). The witness of history is that women have been oppressed and have often not been treated equally with men. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that the idea of God being Mother and having a feminine nature has been suppressed. This certainly does not make it less possibly true. 

The Holy Spirit, for example, could have been defined (with pronouns) as feminine in the New Testament. The Greek word for “spirit” is “neuter”, and the Hebrew word for “spirit” is feminine. There is no reason not to define the Spirit as feminine. Even just looking at grammar, spirit is not defined as masculine in either Hebrew or Greek. But the largely male translators chose masculinity. The definers of God in the 4^th century chose for God to be 3 male persons in 1 – despite the fact that God has clearly revealed Himself to be, in His Word and in creation, equally male and female. What is more, even in the Old Testament the Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom, is defined as feminine with feminine pronouns in Proverbs, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. God is not the One who has been unclear about the divine feminine: the Church has been blind to it – and so have I, until fairly recently.

And what might have happened if the Church was not, largely, blind to this? If the Spirit, who inspired the entire Bible, was rightly defined as feminine? Would women be barred from teaching in many churches? I doubt it. Why has the Church, for the most part, not thought to define God as feminine in any way? Is it because God has not been clear? How could He be more clear? He says His image is male and female. The Spirit even has feminine pronouns in the Old Testament – which was written in the context of a very patriarchal society. And here the Church is now, where many in the Church are not in a very patriarchal society at all, and much of the Church is firm on their stance that women should only teach and lead women and children but never men. I’m going to call this what it is: sin, and a quenching of the Spirit (see the implications from section 2 of my blog for more biblical backing on that statement).

I explain on this blog that many Church fathers and others throughout history believe the Holy Spirit to be Mother and that there is historical evidence Jesus himself considered the Spirit to be his Mother - though there is no evidence that this was ever a majority view. Is it then, the witness of history that God is not feminine in any way? Or that the Holy Spirit is not Mother? No! History witnesses to consistent marginalization of women and oppression of women throughout the centuries - even in the Church. Therefore, the fact that the Divine feminine in the person of the Holy Spirit has been forgotten is no surprise. It makes sense that God’s femininity has never been emphasized given history’s witness of the treatment of women - even by the Church. History certainly does not give any evidence that the Divine feminine, as revealed in the Holy Spirit, is false. God’s Word, in any event, should be the deciding factor - and the Divine feminine is there in Scripture - if one has the eyes to see it.