The Gospel according to Eve, Amanda W. Benckhuysen
The Gospel according to Eve, Amanda W. Benckhuysen
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The Gospel according to Eve
A History of Women’s Interpretation

Author: Amanda W. Benckhuysen

Narrator: Bernadette Dunne

Unabridged: 10 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/28/2019


Synopsis

What does it mean to be male and female? Do women and men have different intellectual, spiritual, moral, or emotional capacities? Are women especially suited for serving and men for leading? Are women and men equal? While these may seem like relatively recent questions, they have been a topic of conversation throughout Christian history. At the center of this conversation is the biblical character Eve, the archetypal woman of Genesis 1-3. Not simply one woman among many, Eve comes to represent all women, defining the very essence of what it is to be female.As Eve was a woman, so all women were Eve, the conditions of her creation and her involvement in the Fall often serving as a justification for limitations placed on women and for their subordination to men. Over the centuries, women themselves have read and interpreted the story of Eve, scrutinizing the details of the text to discern God’s word for them. Often their investigations led them to insights and interpretations that differed from dominant views, shaped as they were by men.The Gospel According to Eve traces the history of women’s interpretation of Genesis 1-3, readings of Scripture that affirmed women’s full humanity and equal worth. Biblical scholar Amanda Benckhuysen allows the voices of women from the past to speak of Eve’s story and its implications for marriage, motherhood, preaching, ministry, education, work, voting, and more.

About Amanda W. Benckhuysen

Amanda W. Benckhuysen (PhD, University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto) is Johanna K. And Martin J. Wyngaarden Senior professor of Old Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary and a researcher in biblical interpretation and reception history.

About Bernadette Dunne

Bernadette Dunne is the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award. She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center and off Broadway.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Bob

Summary: A history of women who have written on Genesis 1-3 since the fourth century, treating their worth, education, their roles as wives and mothers, whether they may teach and preach, and as advocates of social reforms. One more book on women and issues of biblical interpretation? Yes, but the re......more

Goodreads review by Carmen

Benckhuysen offers an illuminating survey of female interpreters of Genesis 1-3 from across history. Reading this book helped me to discover dozens of new biblical interpreters whose stimulating insights help to restore women's dignity as humans made in the image of God. I expect I will turn to this......more

Goodreads review by Kate

“Is male headship part of God’s design for male/female relations? Or is it a function of the fall?” This book presents the translations that many women have brought forth in the past few centuries of the creation of Adam & Eve, along with the Fall, to argue that the patriarchy is not biblical, but a......more

I enjoyed this book, particularly its extensive bibliography. It made me think critically about passages of scripture that have otherwise become second nature, and was simultaneously frustrating and healing. My only significant critique would be in what appears to be a hastily added section of diver......more

Goodreads review by Alicia

An interesting read that gets better as it goes on! Could have been improved by incorporating more diverse voices rather than including them only at the very end, as well as by including more non-literal interpretations. I was also a bit disappointed by the exclusive use of male pronouns for God des......more


Quotes

“Benckhuysen recovers a fascinating history of female biblical interpretation—one that reveals complex, creative, and often empowering visions of Christian womanhood.” Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Calvin College