A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

Liberalism and Neo-Orthodoxy
nous Christian or quasi-Christian organizations. They run
the gamut in religious beliefs from conservative Christian
to almost totally African. Some of these groups are
Pentecostal in character, encouraging moves of the Spirit,
spiritual gifts, and demonstrative worship. At the same
time, many include practices and concepts from tribal
religions, such as ancestor worship, animism, sacrifices,
and polygamy.
Feminist theology has developed as a means of proclaiming
the equality of men and women. In its mildest
form, it seeks to make the language of worship inclusive
rather than masculine. Many feminist theologians seek to
eliminate all references to God as masculine, or at least
balance them with references to God as feminine. For
example, prayers may be addressed to “our heavenly
Parent” or “our heavenly Father and Mother.” Jesus may
be called “the Child of God.” Some seek to make these
changes in the Bible and in official liturgy. For instance,
in 1999 the Methodists in England included the first
prayer to “God the Mother” in their new worship book. 209
Radical feminists worship the “Goddess” or “Sophia”
(Greek for “wisdom”). They draw inspiration from the
pagan worship of female deities. They celebrate female
sexuality and endorse lesbianism.
As an example, a feminist church in San Francisco
called Weave of Faith, “a Christian feminist worshipping
community,” described its worship as follows: 210
While our rituals may borrow from women’s spirituality
and non-christian religions, the divinity which
we worship is grounded in the judeo-christian tradition,
more often than not with feminine names and
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