In Sweden, God is no longer a ‘he’

The Church of Sweden has decided that God is beyond human form and so it will no longer refer to … him… as …. him or he.

The Guardian says the move by the national Evangelical Lutheran church is part of an update to a a 31-year-old handbook setting out how services should be conducted in terms of language, liturgy, hymns and other aspects.

The decision came Thursday at the conclusion of an eight-day meeting by the church’s governing body.

“Theologically, for instance, we know that God is beyond our gender determinations, God is not human,” said Archbishop Antje Jackelén.

This isn’t going over big with some theologians.

“It really isn’t smart if the Church of Sweden becomes known as a church that does not respect the common theology heritage,” said Christer Pahlmblad, an associate theology professor at Sweden’s Lund University.

The Synod of the Church of Sweden has 125 women and 126 men, while 45 percent of all priests are women.

How does one refer to God if not as “him”?

“God”.