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<h1><span>Divinity Schools: Stop Using ‘He’ or ‘Him’ to Refer to God</span></h1>
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<span class="gmail-author">By Jillian Kay Melchior</span><span class="gmail-sep"> | </span><span class="gmail-block gmail-single-post-time">1:29 pm, January 15, 2017</span> </div>
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<p>Guidelines at two top U.S. divinity schools have recommended
professors use “inclusive” gender-neutral language—including for God,
according to documents from both Duke and Vanderbilt.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.vanderbilt.edu/catalogs/documents/divinity.pdf">Vanderbilt’s 2016-2017 catalog</a>
says the divinity school “commits continuously and explicitly to
include gender as an analyzed category and to mitigate sexism” in its
teachings. “This includes consistent attention to the use of inclusive
language, especially in relation to the Divine,” the divinity school
catalog says.</p>
<p>Melissa Snarr, the associate dean for academic affairs at
Vanderbilt’s divinity school, said in an emailed statement that the
2016-2017 guidelines actually stem from a policy that dates back to
1999.</p>
<p>That document states that “masculine titles, pronouns, and imagery
for God have served as a cornerstone for the patriarchy,” while also
noting that not all of God’s names are gendered. It recommended
“exploration of fresh language for God.”</p>
<p>Vanderbilt faculty vary in their views about how to express the
divine, Snarr said. “It is up to the individual professor’s
interpretation for their classes and is suggestive rather than
mandatory,” she said of the 2016-2017 guidelines.</p>
<p>Duke’s divinity school has <a href="https://divinity.duke.edu/sites/divinity.duke.edu/files/documents/scos/COS%20%20Inclusive%20Language%20Policy.pdf">a more detailed set of guidelines</a>—but also one that applies to fewer of its students.</p>
<p>The “inclusive language” guidelines were created for a divinity
school program geared toward people already working in the Methodist
church, taking supplemental weekend or summer classes. That’s “a totally
different path than matriculated students,” said a Duke spokeswoman.</p>
<p>Duke’s guidelines offers suggestions “as a beginning point for developing a more inclusive language about God.”</p>
<p>Those suggestions include avoiding gender-specific pronouns, instead using “God” and “Godself.”</p>
<p>The Duke guidelines also suggest professors forgo gendered metaphors
for God. For instance, a professor might say “God is a parent to us all”
instead of “a father.” Another option: Mixing gender in metaphors. A
professor could say, for example, “God is the father who welcomes his
son, but she is also the woman searching for the lost coin.”</p>
<p>“Referring to God in gender-neutral language can sound clumsy,” the
Duke guidelines say, “but this is largely due to the fact that we are in
a transitional period with our use of language. Imagination, patience,
and diligence are required in order to use language that expands and
enriches our understanding of God.”</p>
<p>Other prominent universities have also wrestled with how inclusive language policies relate to their divinity programs.</p>
<p>Notre Dame’s Theology Department issued a <a href="http://theology.nd.edu/about/inclusive-language-statement/">statement</a>
recognizing “the ongoing debate and conflicting views about
gender-sensitive language for God.” In the end, it opted to issue no
formal policy, leaving the decision to professors.</p>
<p>And the editors of the <em>Harvard Theological Review</em> took a more hardline approach, <a href="http://hds.harvard.edu/faculty-research/research-publications/harvard-theological-review/prospective-authors">writing</a> that “it is not always appropriate to employ inclusive language when referring to God or divine beings.”</p>
<p>— <em>Jillian Kay Melchior writes for </em>Heat Street<em> and is a fellow for the Steamboat Institute and the Independent Women’s Forum</em>.</p><p><a href="https://heatst.com/culture-wars/divinity-schools-stop-using-he-or-him-to-refer-to-god/">https://heatst.com/culture-wars/divinity-schools-stop-using-he-or-him-to-refer-to-god/</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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