When God Becomes Goddess

Book Description

In an era where traditional religious beliefs face unprecedented challenges from modern science and contemporary social realities, theologian Richard Grigg presents a provocative exploration of faith's evolving landscape in America. While surveys reveal that most Americans still profess belief in God, Grigg argues that this belief has fundamentally transformed from its historical foundations.

As scientific understanding claims territory once occupied by religious explanation, and modern problems of suffering challenge age-old assumptions about divine providence, the concept of God increasingly retreats into private spiritual experience. Yet this privatization threatens to diminish the very essence of the Western religious tradition, where God has served as the central organizing principle of communal faith.

Grigg offers an unexpected solution to this theological dilemma. Through careful examination of feminist theological perspectives, he demonstrates how embracing the Goddess figure might paradoxically preserve rather than replace traditional concepts of divinity. By analyzing what he terms "enactment theology," Grigg reveals how feminist approaches to the divine extend far beyond critiques of patriarchal structures.

This philosophical study suggests that the Goddess of feminist theology could provide a pathway for rescuing the concept of God from the relentless pressures of secularization. For readers grappling with questions about faith's relevance in the modern world, Grigg presents a thoughtful framework for understanding how spiritual traditions might adapt while maintaining their essential character.