Eve & Adam: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Readings on Genesis and Gender

by Kristen E. Kvam (Editor), Linda S. Schearing

How do sacred texts define who we are and how we relate to one another as women and as men? This remarkable anthology surveys more than two millennia of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim commentary on the biblical story that continues to raise fundamental questions about men, women, and society. There are almost one hundred selections in this book, and they range widely from postbiblical interpretations in the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha to three commentaries written especially for this volume. These texts demonstrate the remarkable hold the story of Eve and Adam has had on the western imagination. Though the biblical account has been invoked throughout history to justify all manner of discrimination, this book reveals an equally rich tradition of egalitarian interpretation. These texts are lively representatives of a debate that continues to animate men and women to this day.

Genres: Religion, Feminism, Judaism, Islam, Gender, Nonfiction, History

515 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1998

Reviews

[georgia anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

was assigned this as a textbook for a theology class, reread it after the course. it was a dream come true for a woman raised in the church to be able to dissect the doctrine opposed onto you, and to gain insight into the way those stories were shaped in Judaism and Islam. I would recommend to anyone interested in history and feminism.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent comparative resource for those interested in how the monotheistic siblings view the mytho-persona of Eve. The sections on Muslim exegesis, however, are somewhat lacking (Tabari, Kisa'i and Ibn al-Arabi). Well-documented.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My boyfriend gave me this book to read as a fun quick read for a plane ride. I read it in two days and it was exactly that. Nothing spectacular, but a fun quick read.

[Sarah Frankie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love close reading!!!