5.2 Construction of the perception of Imago Dei in a woman in the writings of the Church
5.2.2 The Fathers on the fall of humankind (Gen 3)
The Fathers held that Eve was the originator of sin, because she was the one deceived by the serpent. Her sin resulted in her subordination to man as a punishment that is spelt out in Gen
3:16.92
5.2.2.1 Ambrose and Augustine on Eve’s responsibility for Sin
Consequently, all women are subordinated to men because of Eve’s participation in the fall. The following Fathers are among those who exemplify this view.
As we shall see below, not only did the Church Fathers take up Paul’s argument in 1 Cor 11, against the presence of the image of God in woman, but they also developed it further by adding new reasons, why a woman could not image God. Augustine, for instance, attributes Paul’s exclusion of woman as bearer of the ‘image of God’ to Eve’s sin, caused by her “small intelligence” which succumbed to deception, and through which woman “perhaps still lives more in accordance with the promptings of the inferior flesh than by the superior reason” (quoted in Clark 1983:40). He therefore holds that Eve, and not Adam, was the one led astray.
Ambrose93
92 “To the woman he said, ‘I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you’” (Gen 3:16).
93Ambrose had a strong Christian background. In his position as Bishop of Milan, he greatly inspired Augustine, who was then pursuing his career in the city, through his rhetorical preaching coupled with allegorical exegesis (see González 1984:189-193).
too held that responsibility for sin lies with Eve, not Adam:
Scripture records which sex it was that first was liable to sin…The woman, therefore, is the originator of the man’s wrongdoing, not the man of the woman’s. Hence Paul also says, ‘Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and committed sin’ (1 Tim 2:14) (quoted in Clark 1983:42).
The sentence of Eve for her sin, according to Ambrose, was made milder because she confessed her sin. She was henceforth to devote herself to her husband. Ambrose portrays this servitude as a gift and even a blessing because it compares to subjection of the church to Christ.
5.2.2.2 John Chrysostom on women’s subordinate status because of Eve’s sin
John Chrysostom (349-407) was Bishop of Constantinople, the Eastern capital of the Roman Empire.94
94 For details of Chrysostom’s life history, see Liftin (2007), González (1984:194-200).
Chrysostom held that the woman was subjected to an inferior state as a result of her role in the first sin and not before. She proved her inadequacy to rule when she sinned and hence she was given over to be ruled by the man, and thus, it was a fair subjection. He indicates that the inferior status is not burdensome for a woman, if she takes it positively (see Clark 1983:42).
He interprets Gen 3:16 in his Discourse 4 as follows:
God said in effect to Eve, ‘I made you equal in honour. You did not use your authority well, so consign yourself to a state of subordination. You have not borne your liberty, so accept servitude. Since you do not know how to rule –as you showed in your experiment with the business of life- henceforth be among the governed and acknowledge your husband as lord’”(quoted in Clark 1983:43).
Clearly Chrysostom is not just interpreting what Paul says, but also claims to speak on behalf of God! In addition, he argues that both the Old and the New Testament are in agreement, that the servitude of a woman is not burdensome. He says that God made it lighter, because Eve confessed her sin and hence was given over to her husband to serve as her refuge. He goes further to, paternalistically, declare:
Note God’s kindness here. For least when she heard the words ‘he will rule over you, she might imagine them to mean a burdensome tyranny, God puts the words of caring first.
He did this by saying, ‘Your inclination shall be for your husband’, that is, He is your refuge, your haven, and your security…You see how sin introduced woman’s subjection, but how God, so ingenious and wise, used the results of sin for your benefit (quoted in Clark 1983:43).
Chrysostom finds similar words of servitude, mixed with mercy, in Paul’s teaching as well:
I want to teach you how Paul…mixes the authority with affection. How does he manage to do it? He says in the Epistle to the Corinthians, ‘Men, love your wives’ (Col 3:19; Eph 5:25)…Paul then says, ‘Wives, respect your husbands’ (Col 3:18; Eph 5:22)…You see how the tyranny is not burdensome when the master is the frenzied lover of the woman who serves, when fear is tempered with love? Thus, the burdensome quality is removed from servitude (quoted in Clark 1983:44).
Chrysostom therefore presents the woman’s servitude as the most ‘natural’ way of responding to man’s ‘generosity’ towards her. In so doing, he makes the woman feel indebted and as though she really deserves the subordinate status as the only way of showing her gratitude. However, the cost of servitude, that the woman offers in return, is much greater and bitterer than the ‘love’ she receives from man.