Why I Sometimes Call the Holy Spirit “She”

Recovering the Sacred Wholeness of God’s Spirit

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Why I Sometimes Call the Holy Spirit “She”

Recovering the Sacred Wholeness of God’s Spirit

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There’s always a pause when I do it.
A raised eyebrow.
A quick glance.

Sometimes even a quiet question afterward:
“Did you mean to say She?”
Yes.
I did.

Because sometimes, calling the Holy Spirit She is not only intentional. it’s faithful.

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Recovering What We Lost

The way we speak about God matters.
Language both reveals and shapes how we relate to the Divine.

For centuries, our theological imagination has been shaped by overwhelmingly masculine metaphors for God. And while Jesus called God “Father” (and we rightly honor that intimacy), it’s also true that God is not male. God transcends gender, embodying all that is nurturing, protective, strong, tender, just, and loving, regardless of the pronouns we use.

But let’s talk specifically about the Holy Spirit.

In both Hebrew and early Christian tradition, there’s a richness we often overlook. The Hebrew word for Spirit, Ruach, is grammatically feminine. So is the Aramaic word Rukha, which Jesus likely used. In the Greek New Testament, Pneuma is grammatically neuter, but grammar doesn’t define the Divine.

Theologian Jürgen Moltmann writes:

“The Spirit is the feminine side of the divine in the world and in human beings… The Hebrew word ruach is feminine, and the wisdom of God (chokmah) is also feminine.”¹

The Spirit is breath, wind, flame, dove, advocate, midwife, and comforter.

She is the one who hovered over the waters in Genesis.
She is the one who overshadowed Mary with creative power.
She is the one who descended like fire at Pentecost and birthed the Church.

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Naming What We’ve Silenced

I use She not to be provocative, but to be honest.
To name what has been buried.
To restore balance where patriarchy has flattened our understanding of God.

Clark Pinnock put it this way:

“Because the Spirit is often linked with traditionally feminine roles - comforting, nurturing, birthing - it is fitting to speak of the Spirit in feminine terms… It is a way of doing justice to the breadth of biblical imagery and balancing the masculine-dominated language of theology.”²

This isn’t about replacing one set of pronouns with another.
It’s about expanding our imagination, our capacity to name God with the full beauty and complexity of human experience.

It’s about allowing the Spirit to come to us not just as a wind or a flame, but as a mother, a comforter, a companion, a presence of fierce tenderness.

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Wholeness in the Holy

Ultimately, God is beyond all pronouns.
But we are not.

We need metaphors. We need imagery. We need language that stretches us toward the mystery, not language that confines God to our image.

When I use She for the Spirit, it’s a small act of spiritual healing.
It reminds me, and maybe others, that the Divine holds all of us, feminine and masculine and everything in between, within the boundless embrace of Love.

This isn’t a theological hill I demand others die on.
But it is a sacred hill from which I glimpse a fuller picture of God.
And sometimes, on that hill, I feel the breeze of the Spirit.
And I whisper back:
Welcome, She.

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Reflection Questions

• What comes up in you when you hear the Holy Spirit referred to as She?

• Has your relationship with God been shaped more by metaphor or mystery?

• What would it mean to let the Spirit speak to you in a voice that sounds like your own?

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For Further Reflection

“I have chosen to refer to the Spirit as “she” for four reasons: (1) It is important to emphasize that both females and males are equally made in God’s image (Gen 1:27). (2) While the Greek word for “Spirit” (pneuma) is neuter, allowing flexibility in pronoun usage, the Hebrew word (ruach) is feminine, supporting the use of a female pronoun. (3) There is early church precedent, especially among Syriac-speaking Christians, for referring to the Spirit in feminine terms. (4) Relating to God as “mother” has been profoundly healing for me, and it grieves me that such avenues of healing are not available to those who conceive of God in exclusively masculine terms.” - Gregory A. Boyd & M. Scott Boren

“God rejoices that he is our Father, and God rejoices that he is our Mother.”– Julian of Norwich, quoted by Kallistos Ware in The Orthodox Way

“Like a good mother who neither manipulates nor neglects her children, God can be seen like a universal Mother always influencing…” – Thomas Jay Oord & Tripp Fuller

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Footnotes

1. Jürgen Moltmann, The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation

2. Clark Pinnock, Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit

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