If I were to summarise the position of feminist theology after twenty-five years, it would be that the patriarchy in its talk about God misses the transcendence of God. If God is only called "her," then God is thought of as too small. That which actually should be expressed cannot really be said in sexist language that ignores half of humanity. The concept of natural inferiority of women and legitimation of their subjection, which they like to present theologically as a subjection given in creation, is -- for both sexes, by the way -- one of the greatest obstacles on the long path to becoming fully human. "Anatomy is destiny", said Freud, unaware of how misogynous substance of this sentence strikes back at those who utter it, institutionalise it, and live it, as is freedom, strength of ego, and humanisation were possibly only for a part of humanity and at a the cost of the other part, which by nature remains unfree.

A citation from the writings of the church father Jerome indicates the ideological continuity: "As long as the woman lives for giving birth and having children, there remains the same difference between her and the man as between the body and soul; if, however, she wants to serve Christ more than the world, she will cease to be woman and will be called 'man' because we desire that all be lifted to perfect manhood." The understanding of the creator God expressed here verifies my opening thesis. According to this tradition, God created nothing but the man, and this creature man is incapable of thinking the other unless as a usable object. If God is not more than a male, then the male is God. Sexism is heresy, is contrary to Scripture (Genesis 1:27; Exodus 2:24), and makes a phallic idol out of God. The reciprocal relationship that exists between the patriarchal image of God and the male position of power in church and society can be observed whether either of the two pillars Father-God or masculine power is shaken within organised religion.

Taken from Theology for Sceptics, by Dorothee Soelle, pp.37-38