AMEN OR “AWOMAN”?
THE MEANING OF THE WORD “AMEN”
Key Facts
On January 3, 2020, with the 117th Congress being inaugurated, a prayer was offered by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (MO-D), who is also an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. [1]
He ended the prayer by praying, “We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and gods known by many names by many different faiths, Amen and ‘Awoman’.” [2]
A few days before, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would be voting on new rules, part of which would be to “honor all gender identities by changing pronouns and familial relationships in the House rules to be gender neutral.” [3]
The word ‘Amen’ comes from Hebrew (ʾāmēn (אָמֵן)) and means “so it is” or “let it be.” It comes from a verb meaning “to be firm or sure.” [4] The “men” part of “Amen” is not gendered and has nothing to do with men or women.
Key Scriptures
Nehemiah 8:6 “And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.”
Psalms 41:13 “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.”
Galatians 6:18 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.”
Revelation 22:20-21 “He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”
Also see: Deuteronomy 27:14-26
Want to Know More?
Premier Christian News - Politician causes confusion after finishing prayer with 'Amen and a woman'
The Hill - Cleaver concludes congressional prayer with 'amen and awoman'
The Independent - Democrat lawmaker’s gender inclusive ‘amen and awoman’ congressional prayer causes stir
Global News - ‘Amen and Awomen’: U.S. Congressman mocked for gendered prayer finale
Application
Just recently, Missouri Representative Emanuel Cleaver, an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church, said a prayer to open the new 117th Congress. He ended the prayer by saying, “We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and gods known by many names by many different faiths, Amen and ‘Awoman’.”
Leaving aside the issues of referring to God as merely “the monotheistic God,” or idolatry in praying to false gods like Brahma or “gods known by many names by many different faiths,” we want to quickly address the ending “Amen and Awoman.” “Amen” is often a word that we say at the end of prayers or in response to a good line from a preacher. But what does this word mean and where does it come from? Is amen a gendered word?
The History of “Amen”
Amen is a transliterated word from Hebrew (ʾāmēn (אָמֵן)), meaning we have used English letters to represent what the Hebrew word sounds like. Throughout the history of the church, Amen has also been transliterated into Greek (the original language of the New Testament) and Latin (which was predominantly used in the Catholic Church for hundreds of years before the Bible became translated into modern languages).
The word primarily means “let it be” or “so it is” or “truly.” It is generally meant to show agreement or affirmation of something’s truthfulness. In Scripture, it is used in many different situations. In the Old Testament, it is often stated as an affirmation to an oath (Deuteronomy 27:15-26); at the end of prayers, blessings, songs, or worship to God (1 Chronicles 16:36, Psalm 72:19); or even as a response to individuals (1 Kings 1:36). [5] In the New Testament, we see these same uses, but Jesus also uses it when he teaches as a means to emphasize a statement’s truth or his authority to teach it. We often translate it “Truly, I say to you” (Mark 14:25, Luke 18:17) or “Truly, truly, I say to you” as John’s gospel is fond of saying (e.g. John 3:3, 5, 11, etc.). In the book of Revelation, Jesus himself is called the Amen to represent his role as “the faithful and true witness” (Revelation 3:14).
Is “Amen” Gendered?
In short, the answer is no. The “-men” portion of Amen is just as relevant to gender as it is to the words mental, menopause, ramen, or specimen. In Hebrew, the word for a man is usually ish (אִישׁ) or adam (אָדָם) and the word for woman is usually ishah (אִשָּׁה). Gender has nothing to do with the word amen (אָמֵן). So it seems rather silly to try and make up the word “awoman” in the spirit of gender inclusiveness.
Conclusion
To be fair, outside of the last few sentences, the rest of Rep. Cleaver’s prayer was good and worthy of reflection. Nevertheless, our culture’s obsession with trying to make everything simultaneously gender inclusive and gender neutral will lead to foolishness like “Amen and Awoman”. Amen is not a gendered word and should not be seen as such. As it has been for thousands of years, it is a statement of affirmation and agreement with the truth. As Christians, let us pursue the truth and the Author of Truth with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen!
[4] Klyne R. Snodgrass, “Amen,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 69.
[5] Ingrid Spellnes Faro, “Amen,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).