Neohelicon
Volume/Issue:
Volume 34: Issue 1
The female face of god
Author:
Perle Besserman 3/1A Canning Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Australia 3/1A Canning Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Australia

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Pages:
125–135
Online Publication Date:
27 Apr 2007
Publication Date:
27 Jun 2007
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11059-007-1012-z
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Abstract  

Locating the influence of modernity on gender in the ancient world of the Near East, this discussion of women’s spirituality traces the history of the idea that the monotheistic god of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity was originally both male and female. Paralleling the myths of the Hebrews and their pagan neighbors, which developed around fertility cults prominently featuring women, the author argues that patriarchal reforms ushered in during the 7th century B.C.E. forced worship of the female face of god underground. Thus split off from mainstream worship, the old fertility cults nonetheless continued to flourish in secret mystical communities. Here, god’s female aspect was worshiped symbolically as “Shekhinah”, the “bride of Yahweh” — now metaphorically identified with the exiled community of Israel. Focusing on the sexually charged and gendered mystical imagery resulting from the reformist prohibitions against goddess worship, the discussion pinpoints its sublimation in mystical contemplative practices from the Deuteronomic period to the present. Locating the influence of modernity on gender in the ancient world of the Near East, this discussion of women’s spirituality traces the history of the idea that the monotheistic god of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity was originally both male and female. Paralleling the myths of the Hebrews and their pagan neighbors, which developed around fertility cults prominently featuring women, the author argues that patriarchal reforms ushered in during the 7th century B.C.E. forced worship of the female face of god underground. Thus split off from mainstream worship, the old fertility cults nonetheless continued to flourish in secret mystical communities. Here, god’s female aspect was worshiped symbolically as “Shekhinah”, the “bride of Yahweh”—now metaphorically identified with the exiled community of Israel. Forcusing on the sexually charged and gendered mystical imagery resulting from the reformist prohibitions against goddess worship, the discussion pinpoints its sublimation in mystical contemplative practices from the Deuteronomic period to the present.

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Cover Neohelicon
Neohelicon
Print ISSN:
0324-4652
Online ISSN:
1588-2810

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Neohelicon
Language English
Size B5
Year of
Foundation		 1973
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 2
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0324-4652 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2810 (Online)

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