Pronouns for God

Not a “he/she” rant.

Sorry to disappoint, but this isn’t about whether to use “he,” “she,” or “they” when referring to God. Instead, I’d like to tackle “thou” and “thee.”

Hundreds of years ago, instead of the all-purpose “you” and “your” of today’s English, the following pronouns were used:

• thou – 2nd-person singular, subject (Thou art my friend.) 
  
• thee – 2nd-person singular, object (I gave the book to thee.)
  
• thy – 2nd-person singular, possessive (I read thy book.)
  
• ye/you – 2nd-person plural or formal (O ye of little faith!)
  

As “you” and “your” began to replace these more specific pronouns, English speakers continued to use “thou,” “thee,” and “thy” to indicate an intimate or familiar relationship. They also kept using them to address God in liturgy and religious writings. By now, the first of those uses has mostly disappeared. But the second one lingers. Why? Why do some worshipers—like the folks who get up early to attend the 7:45 a.m. service every Sunday at my church—still want to thee and thou God? 

During the transition, I can imagine that keeping thou and thee helped people retain the sense of intimacy with God. By speaking to God in the same way they would speak to a beloved parent or their dearest friend, God remained approachable. But now? Who talks to their parents or friends like that? For me, that language is distancing, so I choose to use the same pronouns with God that I use with those who are dearest to me.

One could argue that the distancing of thou and thee is a form of respect for the Creator of the universe. I get that. But for me, if an encounter with the Creator of the universe has left me awestruck, I’m definitely not reaching for “thou” or “thee.” I’m more likely to cry and make inarticulate sounds. And because God is closer than my breath, God understands exactly what those sounds mean with no pronouns needed.