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