Adam and Eve and Gender



Adam and Eve and Gender

Introduction

For centuries, the Bible stories about Adam and Eve defined gender roles for men and women, shaped political battles over gay marriage and abortion, and prompted lawsuits over what should be taught in public school science classes. Adam and Eve were the first humans, according to the Jewish religion, Islam and Christianity, and all humans are descended from them. In the words of the Bible, Adam and Eve were created by God to care for His creation, to populate the earth, and to have a relationship with Him, their names are indicative of their roles. Adam comes from the Hebrew, meaning "man." Eve is Hebrew for "life. Many people are going to disagree with the statements I m going to present in this article, but what is biblical and therefore what is correct in the eyes of God has nothing to do with what we want and what we like to be true.

The Creation of Adam (Genesis 2: 4-7)

The Bible relates how God formed Adam out of the dust of the ground and breathed life into his nostrils. Early representations sometimes show a ray of life-giving breath passing between God's mouth and Adam's nostrils, although a more readable and ultimately more popular form shows God blessing Adam, whilst helping him to his feet (Pagels, 2009). The most famous representation is undoubtedly that by Michelangelo for the Sistine Chapel ceiling in which God animates Adam by passing the power of life from his to Adam's finger tips.

The Creation of Eve (Genesis 2: 18-25)

God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and, whilst he slept, created Eve from his rib. The most common form is to show Eve being drawn out from the side of the sleeping Adam by God, who blesses her (e.g. this episode was seen by the medieval Church as a typological prefiguration of the Church (through the symbolic connection of the Church/ Virgin Mary/Eve) emerging from the wound of Christ on the cross.

The Temptation and Fall (Genesis 3: 1-13)

God told Adam that he could eat the fruit of any of the trees in Eden, except for the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A serpent tricked Eve, however, into sampling the fruit and sharing it with Adam. God rebuked Adam, who blamed Eve who, in turn, blamed the serpent. From this moment onwards mankind would be mortal, man would toil in the fields, and woman would suffer the pains of childbirth (Malti-Douglas, 1995). This important episode has retained a remarkably constant form since the earliest days of the Church: the serpent coils around the tree whilst Adam and Eve stand to each side trying the fruit.

According to the Slavonic version, Adam and Eve expelled from Paradise, beg God for nourishment and are given the seventh part of Paradise. Adam begins plowing, but the Devil prevents him from continuing until Adam acknowledges his lordship over Adam and the earth. The religious spirit expressed in the ...