The Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther and John Calvin

For Martin Luther and John Calvin, both man and woman were created in the image of God.  Both of these men account for Eve's disobedience differently but have a similar opinion on what the effects of the event in Genesis 3 are on human relations.

Luther attempts to reconcile Genesis 1 and Genesis 2-3.  According to him, Moses writes that the 2 sexes were created together to indicate that Eve was also made by God as a partaker of the divine image and of divine similitude and ruled over everything.  This applies to later writing by Peter who declare that women also partake of Jesus' saving grace.  Eve was not inferior to Adam in body or soul.  Yet, he states that there is a difference between the sexes.  Women are inferior but may not be excluded from any glory of the human creature.  Women were created that they should 'everywhere and always be about her husband.'  In the garden, Luther says that the woman allowed herself to be persuaded.  The snake, which he believes to be Satan, attacked the weak part of the human nature, woman.  They were created equally righteous but Adam had some advantage over Eve.  The only evidence he seems to have for this is just the fact that Satan chose her.  He does references what happen after the fall, like Eve's dependance on her husband.  Perhaps the strength of the male sex surpasses the female sex.  Luther notes that Eve didn't mention the punishment as God had stated it ("on whatever day you will eat from it, you will surely die" vs. "lest perchance we shall die.." (she adds perchance)).  The 'deceit of the lying spirit met with success.'  Satan saw this and took advantage of it; according to Luther, the root and source of sin is unbelief and turning away from God.  Eve was engrossed in unbelief both in spirit and in body that she didn't realize she was doing evil.  For Luther, Eve's disobedience is a result of women's innate inferiority to men, despite his claim that men and women were created equal in body and soul, equally righteous.

Luther sees Adam as a typical case of any human being who sins: he blames God and others, and this necessitates the grace through the Gospel.  Eve is not any better than Adam; Eve also blames another (the snake).  "Out of a human sin comes a sin that is clearly demonic, unbelief turns into blasphemy, disobedience into contempt of the creator."  Luther sees Eve's punishment as a source of joy which shocked me at first.  Nevertheless, he does explain all the punishments and pain of bearing children, so he is not calling child-bearing easy.  Although troublesome there is a hope left for a better life strengthened together with those punishments (Eve was not repudiated by God).  He goes on to say that the heathen see women's pains in having child and think its better for a man not to marry.  However, through marriage a man transfers a part of women's punishments upon himself (for he cannot without grief see those things in his wife).  The second part of Eve's punishment is cohabitation: the rule remains with her husband and the life is compelled to obey by God's command.  From this, Luther believes that the wife looks after the household.  Before 'the fall', women were free and equal to men and in no way inferior.  However, because of child bearing (gestation and birth), women now do not go beyond their most personal duties.  Ergo Eve's sin lead to her and all women becoming subjected to their husbands and having no part in rule.  Of course women don't like it and they grumble, but they cannot perform the functions of men, teach, rule, etc.  To Luther, motherhood is an honor.  The effects of Genesis 3 on human relations, according to Luther, is that now women are no longer free but subjected to men and have no part in ruling or teaching, but must maintain the household.

Calvin sees Eve like Luther does.  He believes that Eve was not just created for Adam to procreate.  His reason is that the spiritual and physical intimacy in marriage is a gift.  Calvin notes that Eve was a good creation which also bore God's image.  However, Calvin sees Eve differently in other respects.  He says that Eve tried to resist sinning, unlike Luther.  He notes that she tried to repel him and reject his words.  However, he still does view Eve as somewhat weaker.  He notes that the snake (Satan) chose Eve because he saw her as the weakest part of man.  She did not seduce or coerce Adam into sinning, this belief is grounded in 1 Timothy 2:14 in the New Testament which says that the woman was deceived but not Adam.  He explains that Eve alone was not responsible.

Calvin then examines Eve's punishments: pains in childbirth and subjection.  He believes that Eve was subordinate to Adam from the beginning, all along.  However, it was a liberal and gentle subjection.  After 'the fall' the subordination was more rigorous, Eve became a servant. Yet, they are only subordinate in the political realm and not in the spiritual realm.  This was likely a reinforcement of gender hierarchy.

Both Calvin and Luther believe that women have been somewhat inferior to men since God created them.  However, Luther believes that women were free before 'the fall' and Calvin believes that they were not completely.  And because Eve was weaker, she was the one to sin.  Additionally, they hold similar beliefs about the change in human relations after 'the fall', primarily the punishment on women.  Both see it as a two fold punishment: pain in childbirth and subjection to men.  'The fall' lead to women becoming lower in social hierarchy then men.  They do not look upon women as wicked like some earlier writers but just inferior and unfit to rise above men to teach or lead.