Check out the following discussion on how women have been represented in church art:
Excerpts from Stefanie Schäfer-Bossert, “The Representation of Women in Religious Art and Imagery: Discontinuities in ‘Female virtues,’” in Gender in Transition: Discourse and Practice in German-speaking Europe, 1750–1830, ed. Ulrike Gleixner et al. (Ann Arbor: MI: University of Michigan Press, 2006), 137–156, https://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/9780472099436-ch6.pdf.
Women’s images were not always so poorly represented in church art. During Sattelzeit (“saddle time”), a period between 1750 and 1870, female images of the divine were targeted for change or removal. Not only female images, but any image which “did not directly conform to prescribed social reality” was eliminated. Prior to this time, there was greater representation of female images which portrayed spiritual strength. For example, often the Holy Spirit appeared as a woman, “the mother of the virtues, the daughters whom she bore and in whom she was present. The terms Charity, Holy Spirit, and Mother were often used interchangeably.”
Men’s as well as women’s souls were considered to be female, and every human soul was preordained to be the bride of Christ. Death sometimes was represented as the female soul leaving a male body . . .
In popular illustrated Bibles (17th century), the angels in Jacob’s vision of the ladder are female.
In Wurttemberg’s Protestant churches, baroque female angels appeared in important and powerful roles. For example, female figures support the pulpits in the churches of Altheim and Langenaue. In a 1734 painting in the church of Hurben, the judges who decided between heaven and hell in the Last Judgement were women angels.
In Wurttemberg’s Protestant churches, baroque female angels appeared in important and powerful roles. For example, female figures support the pulpits in the churches of Altheim and Langenaue. In a 1734 painting in the church of Hurben, the judges who decided between heaven and hell in the Last Judgement were women angels.
November 16 is the feast day of a remarkable woman: St. Margaret of Scotland. Margaret spent most of her early life in Hungary during her father’s exile. She returned to England with her family in 1056 or 1057, and, shortly after this her father died, leaving her brother as a
Masculine language permeates many worship experiences; in hymns, in liturgy, and even in Scripture. This lecture seeks to identify a balance: Concerning exclusive language, how much is too much? Concerning inclusive language, how far is too far? The recording also gives practical guidance on incorporating gender-inclusive language into corporate worship
During Sattelzeit (“saddle time”), a period between 1750 and 1870, female images of the divine were targeted for change or removal.
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