The Garden Narrative (Gen 2:4b- 3:25) - perspectives on gender equality

Abstract

The Garden Narrative's ideological function is not to construct reality and gender from a patriarchal perspective and to confirm and handle these concepts as a natural creation phenomenon (Stratton 1995:209). Man is not portrayed as the norm for God's creatures. He should not be seen as the centre of creation and of God's attention alone. It is a one-sided endeavour to utilize Genesis 2-3 in order to devalue women to a submissive and inferior creature in creation. A literary-historical reading of the Garden Narrative (Gen 2:4b-3:25) is helpful to determine a balanced view and meaning of the text with regard to gender equality