Why Call God Father and Not Mother or Parent?

The answer to this question may be partly cultural and due to “Israel’s temptation to follow after fertility Gods.”[1] Missiologist and Fuller Theological Seminary professor Scott Sunquist also notes: “Why not Mother?” The simple answer is that we are not given “Mother” as a name for God. The deeper reason may be that “mother’ or “mother earth” were designations for … Read More

What I Learned from Gregory Nazianzus

For most of my adult Christian life, I’ve been convinced that the cross and grace are at the core of the Christian faith. That hasn’t changed. What has is my appreciation for the Trinity as the foundational doctrine that binds all three branches of Christianity together. In my spiritual formation—largely in the evangelical Protestant tradition, the mystery and relational importance … Read More