Nicholas Kristof: God and the women in Her churches

What would God think of her spokeswomen? View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Saturday, March 31, 2018 [NYTimes.com/Kristof »]( [God and the women in Her churches]( [As women increasingly lead congregations, it may become less natural to think of God as “He.”]( As women increasingly lead congregations, it may become less natural to think of God as “He.” Paradise, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1530. Quick quiz question for Easter: Who is the only person in the Bible to win an argument with Jesus in a public debate? Answer: it’s a woman. I tell the story in [my column today]( about God and women, and their changing relationship. So Happy Easter and Passover, and [enjoy the read!]( The backdrop is that a majority of new ministers and rabbis in many denominations are now female. The (female) president of Union Theological Seminary tells me that this is as big a change as the Reformation, transforming in turn the way we perceive God, from a stern father to a comforting mother. It’s also leading to more use of the pronoun “She” when referring to God. So I hope you enjoy the weekend and [find the column]( er, divine. Back in our secular world, one of the most critical revelations this last week was the report that the White House raised the issue of pardons with Paul Manafort’s lawyer. This is huge. At one level, it may explain the mystery of why Manafort hasn’t pled guilty even though he’s facing many years in prison; he may expect a pardon if he keeps mum and doesn’t cooperate with Robert Mueller. The hints of a pardon raise questions about obstruction of justice; they were denied by the White House. But if true, my conclusion is that the White House would have taken the risk of raising the pardon question only if Manafort had devastating information about Trump that it was desperate for Mueller not to obtain. But all this is speculation, and remember that the White House is denying this. There have been any number of books trying to explain to liberals the mindset of people who voted for President Trump. One of the very best of these is “[Strangers in Their Own Land]( by Arlie Hochschild; I recently read it and really recommend it. Hochschild is a Berkeley sociologist who writes respectfully, even warmly, of the Louisiana voters she hung out with, and I think they will feel they have been fairly treated as she captures their frustrations, concerns and resentments. Just one final thing: Keep an eye on Russia. Normally the instinct in diplomatic expulsions is to be reciprocal or tamp down, but President Putin escalated with his response to the U.S. expulsions (he ordered the U.S. to close its consulate in St. Petersburg). This comes on top of Putin’s reckless chemical weapons attack in Britain, and East-West relations are now as bad as at any time in decades. I worry about further escalation, including Russia lashing out in Ukraine or the Baltics, or in cyber. Now get back to Easter, Passover or maybe just your email! I wrote [today’s column]( partly because I think we in journalism are all over politics but don’t cover as well the faith world that has ENORMOUS influence over American life, from politics to race to gender. And as women come to dominate the pulpits in churches and synagogues, the impact of religion on society may come to be quite different. I welcome your thoughts in comments [below the column](. ADVERTISEMENT I welcome suggestions for what to include in this newsletter. You can connect with me on [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google]( [Instagram]( and [Pinterest](. If you have friends who might enjoy this newsletter, forward this email; they can [sign up here](. Send feedback or tech questions to newsletters@nytimes.com. Recent Columns [These Kids Could Tutor World Leaders]( On my win-a-trip journey, a visit to a dirt-floor schoolhouse where kids struggle, but still manage to inspire. [‘Conflict Is More Profitable Than Peace’]( Perhaps the most devastating blow anyone can suffer is to lose a child. In the Central African Republic it happens all the time. Welcome to the world’s most neglected crisis. ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW NICHOLAS KRISTOF [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nickkristof]( [Instagram] [nickkristof]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Nicholas Kristof newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2018 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018