earticle

영어

Reading of God in the Old Testament with Feminist Eyes Yeong Mee Lee, Ph.D Professor, Department of Theology Hanshin University The present article aims to examine biblical God of creation and salvation from feminist perspective and draw anti-patriarchal and inclusive images of God of life that may apply for modern Christian era. Although Christian tradition has been highlighting the male image of God, the Father, biblical description of creation and salvation is depicted based on feminie principle of life-bearing and compassionate love of womb. The examination of Mother Goddesses of Ancient times who played major role in creation of the world as life-bearer illustrates the feminine principles of life in creation. This principle of life in creation and the motifs of childbirth are applied in description of creation of the world and Israel in the Bible. The appearance of Goddess in the Bible shows the depreciation of Goddesses’ status from independent creative god to the spouse of male god. They are no longer shown as the creator but play role as one who brings fertility and prosperity. These Goddesses were worshiped among people, especially by women. The Israelite official religion that affirms one God alone for Israel, however, condemns the Goddess worship and supplies the absence of Goddess in their religion with alternative theological symbols such as woman Zion or woman wisdom. The image of God of salvation is then depicted based on feminine principle of compassionate love, rachamim. Thus this study suggests to apply the images of biblical God of creation and salvation, rooted in the feminine principle that embraces the value of life, for imagining the work of God in this time of life threat by nuclear weapons and ecological crisis.

한국어

이글은 지금까지의 가부장적 하나님 아버지 표상을 넘어서 성서의 하나님이 생명잉태와 돌봄, 모태 사랑의 여성적 원리에 기초한 창조와 구원의 역할을 담당하는 생명의 하나님으로 상징되고 있음을 밝히고, 핵무기 위협과 생태위기 등으로 생명의 위협을 받는 현대시대에 한국교회가 생명살림의 하나님의 상징을 더 발전시킬 것을 제안하고 있다.