Reimagining God through the Divine Feminine: Part 1 of our Conversation with Daneen Akers
In this week’s episode of The Collective Table, we are thrilled to share part one of our conversation with Daneen Akers, author of Dear Mama God. Daneen is a writer, teacher, filmmaker, and mother who deeply believes in the power of storytelling to shape faith, identity, and belonging. Her work invites us to expand our understanding of God, embracing the Divine Feminine as a source of healing, justice, and connection.
Seeing God Through a New Lens
Throughout our conversation, Daneen shares how her own journey of faith led her to reimagine God beyond patriarchal language and imagery. Dear Mama God is an expansive, wonder-filled prayer addressed to God as Mother—an invitation to see the Divine as nurturing, sustaining, and deeply present in everyday life.
Drawing on the scholarship of Dr. Wil Gafney and other womanist theologians, Daneen highlights how many feminine images of God have been erased or downplayed through translation. She shares the powerful moment when she first read Gafney’s translation of Job 33:4:
"The spirit of God, she has made me. And the breath of the nursing God, she gives me life."
This imagery, she explains, was one of the first times she felt her own female body reflected in the Divine.
We also discuss how expanding our language for God isn’t just about including women—it’s about revealing a fuller, richer understanding of the Divine that benefits everyone, including boys, men, and nonbinary individuals. When we only use masculine language for God, we unintentionally send the message that power and divinity are male. Reclaiming feminine images helps restore balance and gives us a deeper, more inclusive spirituality.
Overcoming Resistance
Of course, expanding God language can bring challenges. Daneen shares stories of resistance, both from others and within herself, as she wrestled with the discomfort of calling God “she” after a lifetime of hearing only “he.”
We also reflect on the cultural resistance to feminine images of God—how people react when they hear God referred to as “Mother” in worship, and why many churches still struggle with fully embracing feminine divine language. The pushback, Daneen suggests, isn’t just about theology—it’s about the deeply ingrained ways patriarchy shapes our spirituality.
Yet, despite these obstacles, she sees this work as deeply necessary. She shares how her daughters’ spontaneous prayers to “Mama God” helped her reclaim prayer in a new way, and how making space for different images of God opens the door for more people to feel seen, valued, and loved.
Questions for Reflection
At the end of the episode, we invite you to reflect on these questions:
Have you ever prayed to God as Mother?
When you imagine God, what picture do you conjure?
How has the intentional erasing of women in the scriptures affected your spiritual journey?
Book Giveaway: Dear Mama God
We are excited to offer an exclusive giveaway for our listeners! Be one of the first 20 people to email or call us and share why the Divine Feminine is important to you, and you’ll receive a free copy of Dear Mama God. Simply send us an email at tct@oceansidesanctuary.org or leave us a voicemail at (760) 722-8522. Once we hear from you, we’ll send you the book—just choose to either pay for shipping or pick it up in person.
Stay Tuned for Part 2!
In part two of our conversation with Daneen Akers, we’ll dive even deeper into the role of the Divine Feminine in shaping a faith that is inclusive, just, and transformative. Don’t miss it!