The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden has told clergy that they need to start using gender-neutral language when referring to God, and avoid masculine terms such as “He” and “Lord.”
The Associated Press reported on Friday that the guidance was issued in an update to the Church’s handbook that deals with terms of language, liturgy, hymns and other aspects.
Archbishop Antje Jackelén, who heads the former state church in Uppsala, explained that there had been internal discussions for clergy to start using more inclusive language as far back as 1986.
“Theologically, for instance, we know that God is beyond our gender determinations, God is not human,” Jackelén asserted.
Critics, such as Christer Pahlmblad, an associate theology professor at Sweden’s Lund University, told Denmark’s Kristeligt Dagblad newspaper, however, that such a direction will “undermine the doctrine of the Trinity and the community with the other Christian churches.”
“It really isn’t smart if the Church of Sweden becomes known as a church that does not respect the common theology heritage,” Dagblad argued.
The Church of Sweden has 6.1 million baptized…
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