A written question posed to the Liturgical Commission, which prepares and promotes forms of service and religious worship in the Church, prompted the news. The project is expected to begin later this year. However, the exact details of the project remain unknown.

The Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Rev Michael Ipgrave, stated "We have been exploring the use of gendered language in relation to God for several years.". This has been in collaboration with the Faith and Order Commission.

The move has been criticised by some conservatives who have warned that "male and female imagery is not interchangeable".

Meanwhile, liberal Christians have welcomed the project, saying "a theological misreading of God as exclusively male is a driver of much continuing discrimination and sexism against women".

The use of male pronouns for God is a long-standing tradition in the Church and any permanent changes to the language would have to be agreed by the General Synod.

No plans to revise current liturgies

However, the Church of England stated that there were no plans to abolish current services and that "there are absolutely no plans to abolish or substantially revise currently authorised liturgies, and no such changes could be made without extensive legislation".

The move towards a more inclusive language reflects a growing global awareness about the assumed usage of pronouns and their impact on those who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth.

A spokesperson for the Church of England said, "Christians have recognised since ancient times that God is neither male nor female, yet the variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship".

The issue of a gender-neutral God is one of several topics causing tension within the Church as the General Synod prepares for a historic vote on blessings for same-sex couples.

Sources

Reuters

The Telegraph

The Globe announced its decision in a tweet, "Our new play 'I, Joan' shows Joan as a legendary leader who uses the pronouns ‘they/them'. We are not the first to present Joan in this way and we will not be the last. We can't wait to share this production with everyone and discover this cultural icon".

The news has prompted a backlash in Catholic circles, with several taking to Twitter to voice their dismay. One said the Globe Theatre interpretation detracts from the heroic life of St Joan of Arc and erases the dignity of womanhood.

To Catholics, St Joan of Arc symbolises chastity and courageous femininity as the woman who sacrificed her life in the pursuit of truth.

The theatre's announcement has led some to speak out against how far it takes artistic liberties.

"Please stop saying amazing women aren't really women" wrote Abigail Favale, a Catholic professor and expert on gender studies.

Favale authored "The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory", which approaches gender from a perspective informed by Church teaching.

Sophie Walker, co-founder of The Activate Collective which raises money for women to run in elections, also tweeted: "When I was a little girl, Joan of Arc presented thrilling possibilities about what one young girl could do against massed ranks of men. Rewriting her as not female and presenting it as progress is a massive disappointment."

In a statement on Friday, the play's artistic director Michelle Terry said, "History has provided countless, and wonderful examples of Joan portrayed as a woman. This production is simply offering the possibility of another point of view."

Terry argued that play adaptations make "anything possible" because "theatres do not deal with ‘historical reality'."

Sources

National Catholic Register

Catholic News Agency

Shakespeare's Globe