ABSTRACT
For Christians, the theological issues inevitably spread ultimately into their views about God and the Divine Nature, and about the authority of their revelation. The God of the Bible appears, at least initially, as a heavily ‘male’ figure. For new and exciting vistas of biblical interpretation develop, involving both the nature of God and also male-female relationships. As for male-female relationships, the role of great female leaders such as Deborah may be seen as indications of how God has always broken through the patriarchal stereotypes of society to show that leadership as well as devotion can be irrespective of sex. In the New Testament, much discussion is needed of why Jesus chose ‘Father’ as his central term for presenting his picture of God to his contemporaries. It is for individual Christians to judge whether and how far they feel called by the Spirit to introduce linguistic changes.
