Page 160 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5

A Portrait of a Christian Psychologist: Paul C. Vitz

Paul C. Vitz (USA)
The Fatherhood of God:

Surprising Support from Psychology

It is widely recognized that the Christian con- new theological contribution of Jesus himself.
cept of God as Father has been under attack. This means that to deny the language of God
Specifically, various religious writers, primari- as Father is to repudiate Jesus and his message.
ly feminists, have proposed that God should be Therefore, whether one admits it or not, to do
called “Mother,” or possibly the androgynous this is to reject Christianity.
“Father/Mother” or “Mother/Father.” In some Aside from such theological considerations,
instances the term “God as Parent” has been there are also historical a priori reasons for not
proposed. In contrast, this paper will explore changing the name of God. Looking back, we
1
the psychological case for the orthodox under- see that the history of Christian heresies has
standing of God as Father. been the history of succumbing to the spirit of
Before getting to our primary subject, however, different ages. Ours is the age of modernism,
it is well worth summarizing some a priori re- which includes a great emphasis on egalita-
asons for not accepting the androgynous or fe- rianism and on sexuality. These two elements
minized notion of God. To begin with, it should have combined to create the modern emphasis
be clear that when people change the name for on androgyny. “Androgyny” or “unisex” is the
God, they have changed their religion. If a small notion that sexuality, male and female, is not
group began to refer to God as “Zeus,” we would fundamental to our nature but that all forms of
know that something non Christian was going sexuality are equivalent and basically arbitrary.
on. Likewise, when neo pagans begin speaking From an androgynous perspective, male and fe-
of the “Horned God,” this modification is not male are not part of the nature of reality- much
without significant theological impact. Changes less of the nature of who each person is.
in the name of God, therefore, are truly great Since modernism was founded to a large extent
changes because they mean that one is changing on hostility to Christianity, it should not be sur-
religions. For example, to reject God the Father prising that ideas coming out of it - particularly
as a name is to deny the basic Christian creeds. in extreme forms are also hostile to the faith.
It is to deny the language of baptism, and of Rationalism, materialism, individualism, na-
course to deny the entire theology of the Trinity tionalism, communism, evolutionism, fascism,
upon which Christianity and its theology have and positivism are all examples of modernist
been constructed. movements that have created Christian heresies
We can get even more specific. Jesus himself or involved explicit rejection of important Chri-
gave us the terminology for referring to God as stian beliefs. (Nationalistic churches compro-
Father. mising the faith in the interests of the state have
He expressed himself in this language often, been common in the last few centuries; pro-fa-
with emphasis in the Gospels, and it is clear scist Christian theology was found in Nazi Ger-
that the notion of God as Father is a major many; and there were many serious attempts
to fuse Christianity and Marxism. Of course,
1 See, for example, M. Daly, Beyond God the Father (Bos- rationalism, materialism, and positivism all ex-
ton: Beacon Press, 1973); H. M. Luke, Women Earth and plicitly rejected God, and hence revelation and
Spirit (New York: Crossroad, 1981); J. C. Lyles, “The God-
Language Bind,” The Christian Century 97, no. 14 (April spiritual reality.)
16, 1980): 430-431; A. Plogsterth, “Toward a Genderless Although the history of heresy has been the hi-
God,” National Catholic Reporter 16, no. 15 (February story of giving in to the spirit of the age, never-
8, 1980): 14; R. Ruether, Women-Church: Theology and theless heresies have been useful because they
Practice of Feminist Liturgical Communities (San Fran- often attack an important but previously un-
cisco: Harper & Row, 1985). For a good discussion and
critique of this feminist issue from a Catholic perspec- developed aspect of our theology. As a conse-
tive, see D. Steichen, Ungodly Rage: The Hidden Face of quence, Christian theology has often developed
Catholic Feminism (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1991).
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