Erika Corr Blog 2

David’s relationship with Michal and Jonathan can be viewed as similar. One of the ways that they are similar is that Michal and Jonathan both care very deeply for David. Jonathan and David are described as loving each other, and furthermore that Jonathan loves David as much as he loves himself (1 Sam 18:3). Jonathan’s father Saul seeks to kill David out of jealousy (1 Sam 18:8-9), and Jonathan does the most that he can to protect David by communicating to him what his father says (1 Sam 19:7). Michal, Saul’s daughter, was married to David in hopes of her being able to trick David so that he will be killed (1 Sam 18:21). Michal is described as being in love with David (1 Sam 18:20), and she also protects him. She warns him that if he does not run for his life, he will be killed, and she then proceeds to help him escape through a window (1 Sam 19:11-12). However, there are differences in the ways that Michael and Jonathan interact with Saul about David. For example, Jonathan is very truthful about his feelings to his father concerning David. He describes David in a very endearing way to help convince Saul not to kill David (1 Sam 19:4-5). On the other hand, when Michal is confronted about why she helped David, she tells Saul that David threatened to kill her if she did not help (1 Sam 19:17). The latter statement made by Michal and Saul’s plan to trick him with the help of Michal makes it seem like Michal did not love David as much as Jonathan did. Furthermore, it gives an idea of how marriage was viewed (i.e. marriages were viewed as a helping partnership full of advice and protection. To Saul, however, it was viewed as a way to help him get closer to David).

Blog 1

The two creation accounts at the beginning of Genesis seem to be just that, a creation account. But upon closer examination one can see that the two accounts are actually differing. In the first account there is not much detail of how women and men are created as it is just stated that “God created man in his own image… male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27). Both the man and woman appear to be created at the same time as they were both created in God’s image. In this account God says to both of “them” to “rule over the fish… and the birds… and over every living creature…” (Gen 1:28). God wanted both of them to rule over creatures, he was not just talking to the man, and this appears to make the man and the woman more equal. There is less of a differentiation between the two sexes in this first account. All that is mentioned is that they were created. They seemed to be created at the same time and are more equal to one another. The only distinction that I can see is that they do not have the same name, they are just man and woman. This first account is more about the creation of the earth and everything on it. The woman’s role specifically from what I got from it was that she was to rule with her husband, as one, as they were both created in God’s own image.

In the second account there is much more detail on the creation of man and woman as account is specifically about Adam and Eve, hence the title of the chapter. Man is created first and woman is created only after God sees that the man needs a helper. The fact that the woman is created from the rib of a man gives a submissive view of the woman right away, and even the word “woman” come from “man” because she was “taken out of man” (Gen 2:23). The beginning of this account the man and woman are joined together but the mentioning of the curse on the woman and man comes later. The snake deliberately came to Eve and not Adam, this shows that Eve may have appeared to be more weak and impressionable than Adam was. she was the one that got tricked and then shared the shame with her husband. He was simply following along with his wife and had no idea that she got the food from a tree that she was not suppose to. This account places the blame on the woman, when not all of it should have been placed on her. When the woman is deceived she is punished with painful childbirth and this is when God states that the husband “will rule over” the wife (Gen 3:16). The woman’s punishment is more severe than the man’s. Not only will she have great pain during childbirth but she is also ruled by her husband. This account portrays the woman as more submissive and almost like a servant to her husband. This second account is much more detailed about the differences between the man and the woman, making sure that the reader is aware of what each gender has caused.

Equal or Indebted?

As someone who has attended church my whole life hearing both stories of Genesis is very interesting to me. In Gen 1:1-2:3 it states that, “God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Then later in Gen 2:4-24 it states that woman was created from man. I can honestly say in my 22 years of life I thought these were the same story. I never realized that twice in the bible does it give two different creation stories.

At the beginning of Genesis the difference in light and dark is discussed, showing you the equality of day and night. The earth is covered in water and then land is created to balance the earth. Throughout the beginning of Genesis balance is continually created and equality is given to those things. This shows that all things created were meant to be equal. 

While one creation story has equality of creation for men and women created together in his image (Gen 1:1-2:3).  This puts men and women on the same playing field. It gives everyone the same level or respect and power, we were all created the same and are all equal in God’s eyes and created in his image.

The other story has the woman created from the rib of the man (Gen 2:4-24). This shows that she cannot be with the man; it gives her a sense of reliance. This passage takes away the equality of women and gives the power to the men. Without man, we are not created.

While reading the Women’s Bible Commentary I realized how many ways these two simple stories can be interpreted and how this small difference in creation has given whole races the right to say that women are inferior to men. It makes me wonder how many people have skipped the first story and only preached the second. Giving people the idea that women cannot be without men, we were created in their likeness with apiece taken from them. We will always be beholden to them because of this.

Morgan McMullen

1/17/14

Essay/ Blog 1

Dejuann Hayes

WGS-3463-995 Women and Religion

Essay Blog 1

There are two creation narratives of the origin of human beings in the book of Genesis that assess the matter of gender and the creation quite differently. In the first narrative, man and woman were created separately, but at the same time in the image of God and were equally given reign to govern over the earth (Gen 1:27-28). Man and woman were both equal in God’s eyes, and both had authority. In the second narrative, man was created first from the dust of the earth and given reign to govern over the earth (Gen 2:7). In this account woman was only created after God seen that man was alone and needed a helper and companion that was just right for him (Gen 2:20-22). She was created from man, meaning that they were one whole union, and she was not given dominion over the earth. The implication of differentiation of gender in the accounts shows that in the first account man and woman are equal to one another, and in the second account the man is superior to the woman. Another thing that I noticed from the second account is that if man was never created, the woman would have never been created since woman was created from the man’s rib. She was also only created because the animals were not suitable companions for man. She came after man, and she was given no power or authority, which makes it seem like women are to be inferior to men or submissive.

 

 

Essay 1 - Odell

In the most well known version of the creation story there is only one woman, Eve, who has the most blame placed on her for her actions in eating the fruit. She is also the one that seems to be punished the most as she is punished with pain throughout her and her children's lives, while the male in the story, Adam, is only punished by having to work his entire life. (Genesis 1-3). This version also puts women as less than men in that they seem to be punished by assuming that role in their future society. Women in the story are treated as though they are the only ones to truly blame for creating sin in the world and the men are treated solely as giving into the temptress(lapsley, 48). This account also makes women coming from a mans side as saying she always belonged under his authority. In the other creation story there are two women involved. The first makes the bad decision and then is cast out and a replacement is made, Eve. The women in this story seem to be out for redemption and are portrayed as intelligent and a variety of other positive traits in these women. This story seems to place women in a more positive and equal light, to the men. In this story the woman being taken from the side of the man is shown to make her more of his equal instead of someone for him to be commanding over(Lapsley, 49). Ashlee Odell

Lesson 1: Gender and Creation in Genesis

One method of investigating the treatment of gender within the two creation narratives at the beginning of Genesis is to compare how mankind is created within each narrative. In Genesis chapter 1, it states, “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27). Biblical scholar, Susan Niditch, explains, “Without establishing relative rank or worth of the genders, the spinner of this creation tale indicates that human kind is found in two varieties, the male and female…” (30). In this creation tale, the only differentiation of gender is that of their titles, male and female.  Created “in the image of God”, no distinction is made of the two and both seem to be created simultaneously. Here, man and woman have no assigned roles or seeming markers of status or superiority over the other, just two kinds of the same species. Man and woman seem to be equal in the first creation narrative. 

            The second narrative starting in chapter 2 verse 4, takes a different approach to the formation of humankind. Here, Adam is formed before Eve from the dust of the earth (Gen 2:7) and out of God’s decision that man should not be alone and that he needs a “helper” (Gen 2:18-23).  While much more detail is put in this story, no exact differentiation is made between the two genders. In fact, the emphasis here is on their closeness as man declares “This at last is bone of my bones/and flesh of my flesh”.  Marriage between man and woman is described as becoming “one flesh” (Gen 2:24), signifying that man and woman share one body. God creates woman out of the need for Adam to have companionship and thus seems crucial to not only the story but humankind as she will be the one to nurture new life into the world. At the end, the presence of nakedness (a marker of difference) seems not to matter as both were “not ashamed” (Gen 2:24). 

Essay/Blog 1: Gender Issues in Genesis Creation Stories

Gender Roles and DIfferences in Creation

The 2 creation stories that open the book of Genesis assume to tell the same story but compared to each other they seem quite different in many respects, including the divisions or unions inherent in creation - division or unions that seem to infer natural order including gender order or structure.  In one account we see a week of creation that happens in ordered pairs seemingly inferring the need for balance and the completeness of creation is realized in 2 separate aspects of a single whole.  In the other creation seems to follow from a singular and linear view that infers a direct lineage and linear order to history and creation, one story with many different tales and stories within but certainly singular.

The first account is of creation of what seems to be a plural type of God.  We are told that, “God said, Let us make humankind in our image.” (Gen 1:26) God here seems to be more than one, although with a singular direction or consciousness the plural is used.  Each day of creation, in turn is created with the idea of separate spheres combining to make a unified whole.  Indeed, “God, separated the light from the darkness just in order to create, “the first day.” (Gen 1:4-5) Creation is continued in a pluralistic paired manner ordered and complete.  Even after God had made humankind plural both man and woman following the natural pattern previously created, he witnessed what creation looked like at each turn, “And God saw that it was good.” (Gen 1:25)

In contrast, the second narrative shows a picture of a singular creator, “the Lord God,” who, “formed man from the dust of the ground,” alone and without a partner of any sort. (Gen 2:7) A single river flows to create the other rivers that populate the earth and he even creates in the Garden of Eden a single tree that was to remain uneaten.  In direct response to the concept of the genders and the status or role of each are the passages on the creation of man’s, “helper,” namely, woman. (Gen 2:20)  Woman was created from part of the man and was claimed truly, “bone of my bone,” and, :flesh of my flesh.” (Gen 2:23) Even when there seems to be the start of a division of gender or creation at all it is quickly squashed and it is overtly stated that it is natural, “they become one flesh.” (Gen 2:24)

Jason Skeel

Gender Representation in Genesis 1-2

       It is clear that gender is incorporated differently into the two creation accounts of Gen1:1-2:3 and Gen 2:4-24. In their basic forms, these two accounts seem to differ significantly in standpoint. The first account seems to consist of a very general, almost "mythical" kind of overview of the creation of man and woman. As readers, we are placed at a distance from the story. The text in this account states only that "God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Gen. 1:27 NRSV). Both the male and female, thus, are likened to "the image of God." They are, in other words, equal in how they relate to one another and how they relate to God. "Without establishing relative rank or worth of the genders," Susan Niditch notes of this verse in her commentary of Genesis in the Women's Bible Commentary, "the spinner of this creation tale indicates that humankind is found in two varieties, the male and the female…" (30). We will find that this lack of differentiation between male and female in this first account is the point at which the two accounts diverge.

       Unlike the first account, the second account of creation is a closer, more detailed narrative in which we "hear" the thoughts and reasoning of God as he creates man and woman. Niditch refers to this as "an earthier style" (30). Here, in Gen 2:7-25, God first creates man, and when he is unable to find a suitable partner for man among all the creatures of his creation, he forms woman from the rib of man. This account implicates roles for each gender, a significant deviation from the first story. The male and female are not created simply as two types of humans, as we saw in the first account, but are created for different purposes, the man to "till and keep [the garden of Eden]" and the woman to become a "helper" to the man (Gen 2:15, 2:18 NRSV). Indeed, she was not made from earth, but from the body of man himself (Gen 2:23 NRSV).

        In order to further understand the complexities in comparing these two accounts, however, it would perhaps be useful to examine the nature and the history of the texts themselves. Why, in other words, do we find two accounts in Genesis of the creation of humankind? Why, as we have seen, do they differ in how they depict woman as she relates to man? These questions would serve as a valuable catalyst for further study in fully understanding the woman of the first three chapters of Genesis.  

Works Cited

Niditch, Susan. "Genesis." The Women’s Bible Commentary. Eds. Carol A Newsom,  Sharon H.   Ringe, and Jacqueline E. Lapsley. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2012. 27-45.