Is God gender-neutral? Church of England to explore terms for God in prayers

In order to explore gender-neutral pronouns for God, the Church of England may consider abandoning millennia of theological doctrine. However the Church said that there are no such plans to abolish or substantially revise authorised services as no alterations could be made without an extensive legislation.

The Liturgical Commission of the church, which is led by King Charles III, has started a special initiative to look at modernising future teachings, the church confirmed.

This comes after a discussion at the General Synod, the governing body of the Church, in which a priest sought solutions for individuals who want to talk of God in a "non-gendered way." He inquired about how to make authorised forms of worship more inclusive.

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The priest claimed that since the debut of its kinds of service more than 20 years ago, there has been a larger desire in a new language. Bishop Michael Ipgrave, vice chairman of the Church's liturgical commission, said the Church had been "exploring the use of gendered language in relation to God for several years".

"Christians have recognised since ancient times that God is neither male nor female," a Church spokesperson while adding that the "variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship."

The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, earlier said that “God is not male or female” or “definable.” “All human language about God is inadequate and to some degree metaphorical,” he said in 2018.

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The current debate illustrates an increasing understanding on a worldwide scale about how pronoun usage may be offensive or upsetting to those who do not identify with the gender they were given at birth. The discussion is the Church's most recent attempt to keep up with the fast changing ideas about gender and sexuality in recent decades. The Church is at the centre of one of the oldest Christian institutions in the world.

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The body announced last month that it would not permit same-sex marriages in its churches, but that priests may bless them there. It also expressed regret for the prejudice and rejection LGBTQI+ individuals have experienced.

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