Female Images of God in Christian Worship: In the Spirituality of TongSungGiDo of the Korean Church

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Female Images of God in Christian Worship: In the Spirituality of TongSungGiDo of the Korean Church examines problems that arise from the use of exclusively patriarchal images in modern Christian worship. The author asserts that female images in the Bible could help worshippers find a relationship with God and provide encouragement and comfort in difficult situations. As a Korean Christian, MyungSil Kim explores the possibilities of employing God’s female images in the services of the Korean Church, noting that Korea’s native religions, the ancient religions and Muism, had many female deities unlike patriarchal foreign religions such as Buddhism and Confucianism. These female deities have comforted the Korean people when they experienced han, a distinctive emotion of deep sadness and resentment that is characteristically Korean. TongSungGiDo, the unique Korean prayer style of communal lament, provides an opportune space and time for the consideration of female images in the Bible. MyungSil Kim examines how female images could more effectively function in the context of TongSungGiDo in accordance with traditional practices to express the complementarity among the concepts of han, lament, female images of God, and prayer. This book is strongly grounded on biblical studies, feminist studies, Christian ethics, and religious studies, including principles of inculturation. The volume is a valuable resource to pastors who are sensitive about language justice in worship and to those seeking to explore feminist theology and particularly feminist liturgical studies. Cover Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1. The Image of God: A Self-Grammar in Worship We are the Image of God Mistaken Identity in Christian Worship The Understandings of the Imago Dei Female and Male as God’s Equal Images in Genesis The Priestly (P) document: Genesis 1 The YHWHistic account (J document): Genesis 2-3 The Restored Image of God in the New Garden Women’s Identity Marginalized by Male The Exchanges of Sex/Gender Identity of Male Saints The Steady Sex Identity Shown in Female Saints’ Lives Understanding Sex/Gender Images of God Metaphorically Metaphor in religious language Humanity and Deity in Image and Likeness God in Anthropological Figures The size of God’s body in the Bible and Jewish literature Why only partial exposure, sharing mainly God’s face? The more testosterone flows, the more estrogen Female-Women, Lament, and the Female Image of God Summary Chapter 2. In Her Image: The Traces of Female Deities Goddesses in the Ancient Near East The Sumerian Goddesses in Mesopotamia The Mother Goddess who is the creator of gods and humanity Goddesses and the civilization of Sumer Inanna/Ishtar, queen of heaven and earth Laments and goddesses in Sumer Anat/Anath, the Most Powerful Canaanite Goddess Isis, Heavenly Queen in Egypt The Asherah/asherah in the Hebrew Religious Tradition Asherah and the Monotheistic YHWHism Asherah as Goddess and Consort of YHWH: The Archaeological Evidence Asherah, a Cultic Object in Conjunction with Asherah alongside YHWH The Misunderstood Asherah in Relation to YHWH in the Hebrew Bible The Deuteronomistic Prohibition Against Asherahs YHWH and the asherah as the reminder in the Hebrew Bible The Significance of Asherah/asherah in the Ancient Israel Conclusion Chapter 3. Female References and Images for God in The Bible Anatomical Female References The Womb Image The Breast Image [in El Shaddai] Motherly Female Images of God The Birthing Image The Nursing Image The Wing Image: Protecting, Training, and Compassioning God as Mother Zion Female Images Based on Professional Role The Midwife Image The Female Supervisor(Mistress) Simile Chapter 4. Female Images of God and The Korean Church The Female Divine Worlds in Korean Myths and Native Religion Female Deities in the Korean Myths The Mountain Goddesses The Earth Mother and the Great Mother - Goddess of grain The Goddesses of Sea and the Creator, Cheju Halmang The Female Deities in Mugas (Hymns) of Muism SamSinHalmi BariDegi Princess Other female deities in relation to justice in the tales of Muism The Biblical Female Images of God in the Spirituality of TongSungGiDo Han and Korean Christianity Han and TongSungGiDo (TSGD) The literal meanings of TSGD: a prayer of communal lament TSGD and biblical references TongSungGiDo as Prayer of Lament and Christian Worship Good faith or bad faith Lament, TSGD and justice Lament, TongSungGiDo, and the Biblical Female Images of God The female images of God as the response to the cry of lament The spirituality of TSGD and the female images of God Conclusion Bibliography Books Articles Korean Books Dictionaries Electronic Resources Index