Church of England Considers Gender-Neutral Language for God
The Church of England is considering whether to use gender-neutral terms to refer to God, a spokesperson said on Thursday, adding that there are no plans to “to abolish or substantially revise” the existing liturgy.
The church said in an emailed statement that Christians have recognized “since ancient times that God is neither male nor female.” The clergy is now weighing whether it could better reflect that in the language used in its services. “The variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship,” the statement said. “There has been greater interest in exploring new language since the introduction of our current forms of service in contemporary language more than 20 years ago.” The Anglican Church said its Liturgical commission, which prepares and advises on the church service, had been “regularly” considering this language since 2014.
That commission has now asked another body, the Faith and Order Commission, which advises on theology, to examine the issue.
The church did not provide specifics on how the commission would work and did not provide a timeline for its findings. “There are absolutely no plans to abolish or substantially revise currently authorized liturgies, and no such changes could be made without extensive legislation,” the church said.
