Eve Isn't Evil: Feminist Readings of the Bible to Upend Our Assumptions

by Julie Faith Parker

"Tackles scripture from a broad-thinking, feminist perspective. . . . Smart and impressive."-- Publishers Weekly

One reason the Bible has endured for millennia is its ability to reach our common humanness and give uplifting insights about struggle, resilience, and hope. Intertwining academic knowledge and candid, personal, and sometimes humorous stories, Julie Faith Parker helps readers engage biblical texts with both mind and heart--to learn the Bible's stories, explore theological ideas, question common assumptions, develop interpretive skills, and grow in their own faith.

The title chapter demonstrates how feminism interprets the Bible with fresh eyes and offers empowering insights, an approach used in the rest of the book. In each chapter, Parker reads biblical texts through a feminist lens. The book discusses both neglected and well-known Old Testament passages with one chapter on the New Testament. Parker's reflections show how vital our readings of the Bible can be as a source of strength, guidance, and joyful defiance.

Additional features include questions for conversation or reflection and an overview of the entire Bible, summarizing each book in one line.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Feminism, Religion, Christianity, Womens Studies, Theology

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Simon Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Besondere an dem Buch ist, dass es akademische Forschung und persönliche Geschichten/Erfahrungen miteinander vereint. Normalerweise schreibt Julie als Alttestamentlerin akademische Bücher und Artikel, aber in diesem Buch wird sie persönlich. Dabei nimmt sie auch keinen Blatt vor den Mund und spricht darüber, wie sie als damalige Pastorin von jemandem stark belästigt wurde, wie sie auch manchmal zu heiligen Schutzpatronen als Protestantin betet und weitere Erfahrungen, die ich auch teils befremdlich fand.

Einige Kapitel fand ich sehr erfrischend mit wirklich komplett neuen Gedanken (zB zu Kindern in der Bibel, Josef als potentieller Autist). Manche fand ich persönlich aber auch recht weit hergeholt und mir fehlte die weitere Begründung für einige steile Thesen.

[Leslie (PaperAndKindness) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I consider myself a feminist so I was excited when I saw this title. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the book I was hoping for. The first chapter seemed very well researched and offered a well-reasoned argument. Subsequent chapters were less cohesive and at times it was difficult to follow the author’s logic. I found the sections about biblical translation and interpretation to be interesting, but overall the book felt disjointed. My thanks to Brazos press for the gifted copy.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Conrade Yap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughout the ages, biblical interpretations are often influenced by their respective cultural changes. Such changes involve situations like new archeological discoveries, philosophical inclinations, political alignments, social norms, and religious affiliations, just to name a few. Christians too have to constantly grapple between biblical faithfulness and cultural relevance. In this day and age, several movements have taken over mainstream cultural perceptions. Movements like Black Lives Matter, Feminism, #MeToo, etc. are becoming commonplace. As far as the Bible is concerned, there has been pushback against the patriarchal culture that was so predominant in the ancient texts. Some modern interpreters are taking the bold step to fight against any form of interpretation that leads to modern justifications for male superiority. This book is written as a way to promote an alternative interpretation to conventional patriarchal ones. Author-Professor Julie Faith Parker offers this alternative to the "traditional (read: male-centered) eurocentric" approaches we can find in many libraries. Parker is aware of the negative connotations behind the word "feminist," so she carefully qualifies her use right from the beginning. Her intent is to help readers understand that there are broader alternatives to the traditional views of the patriarchal nature of the Bible. She does so on the basis of helping us increase our knowledge of the Bible, appreciating "cutting-edge scholarship," and forming a less judgmental spirit in interpretation. She demonstrates this by dealing with seven Old Testament texts and one New Testament passage.

The first OT text is Genesis where popular interpretations tend to paint Eve as the evil (or relatively more evil) partner. Such interpretations could lead to erroneous modern applications such as misogyny or absolute male superiority. She retells it by showing us how men too are complicit in the evil occurring in the world. Plus, Eve's desire for wisdom should not be interpreted as an absolute negative as well. Yet, she has a big role to play in the downfall of humankind, but that should not be completely on her. The second text compares the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) with the matriarchs (Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel) to show us that they all fumble. Families then are also messed up, so we should not paint the guys as heroes nor label the ladies as the villains. The third text warns us about stereotypes. by dealing with unsavory female characters like Rahab the prostitute, two sex workers quarreling before Solomon over a baby, and ancient perceptions of gods and goddesses. The fourth text is about female prophets and relatively lesser heralded leaders like Deborah, Miriam, and Huldah. The fifth text looks at Job where the author helps us appreciate Job's predicament from the standpoint of Job. She uses this to show us that we, especially male readers ought to learn to see biblical passages from the standpoint of women from time to time. The sixth text looks at psalms which sometimes give us a sense of "binary gender constructs," which are often not the main point. Often, these gender constructs are means God uses to show us the meaning of core issues that are not related to gender. The seventh text covers the Song of Songs and the poetry genre to show us that God created everyone equal. Finally, Parker covers the NT text with a description of NT women in the gospels.

My Thoughts
==============
What happened in the past is one thing. Biblical interpretation is another thing. The application can also be different altogether. Reading Scripture well means we learn to do three things. Like the first step of the Inductive Bible Study format, it begins with good observation of the texts. This is what Parker has helped us to do. For example, anyone who claims that Eve should be blamed more for the eating of the forbidden fruit should take note that Adam was also present with her in the temptation episode. All the characters are punished for their unique offenses. Is it right to assign blame on any of them? Probably. Did their actions lead others to error? Definitely. Should we then judge Eve more than we judge Adam? Not really, because both Adam and Eve are complicit in the sin. Parker helps us read the text better. That is learning to see the texts from the texts.

The second step in understanding the Bible is Interpretation, which is about what the text means. We need to be careful not to turn this interpretation into "What does it mean to me?" The difference is primarily between asking the questions objectively or subjectively. Doing so helps us avoid the danger of bias. What helps is how Parker compares and contrasts the different interpretations of the text, past and present. For example, in the chapter about gods and goddesses, Parker reminds us about how pre-judgment can blur our understanding of ancient contexts and cultural needs. Instead of straitjacking our understanding of the way ancient people worship, we ought to read the texts as they are based on ancient challenges such as lack of modern medicine, low survival rate, high infant mortality, etc. By reading with understanding, we are less prone to judging the biblical characters with a self-proclaimed sense of righteousness, and to let any judging be God's alone.

Finally, this book shows us the important role of non-judgmental and non-biased forms of application. In opening our eyes to a broader appreciation of the biblical characters and contexts, we become better readers first, careful interpreters second, and wiser applicants third. Parker also provides a nice set of appendices to help us understand fundamental bible basics and other bible resources. We learn to see the texts from the perspectives of the characters and ultimately, on what God is trying to tell us. The danger for modern Bible readers is that rush to apply things based on our preconceived ideas. Parker helps us be more patient to consider the texts before attempting any such leap.

One more thing. If there is any one reason to buy this book, it would be equipping us with an additional perspective on biblical interpretation. Feminism is not something totally negative in the first place. It came up due to the unfair abuses and historical mistreatment that need to be addressed. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Once we learn of the reasons behind any movement, we will better appreciate the reason why certain things happened. More importantly, we get to the point in which we grow as humans learning to live with one another based on a "I may not agree but I can understand" position.

Julie Faith Parker (PhD, Yale University) lives in New York City where she is a visiting scholar at Union Theological Seminary and biblical scholar in residence at Marble Collegiate Church. She has taught biblical studies at General Theological Seminary, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Colby College, and also at New York Theological Seminary, where her students were incarcerated in Sing Sing Prison. She is the author of Valuable and Vulnerable: Children in the Hebrew Bible, Especially the Elisha Cycle, editor of My So-Called Biblical Life: Imagined Stories from the World's Best-Selling Book, and coeditor (with Sharon Betsworth) of the T&T Clark Handbook of Children in the Bible and the Biblical World. Visit her website at juliefaithparker.com.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

[Hillary Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most exciting book but super interesting and makes me want to pick up bible study again. Really shows the importance of translation and how interpretation creates a fine line between bigotry and radical acceptance. Also learned that certain translations portray nonbinary people as the most divine and also praise lesbians so that’s cool.

[AK Velasquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I disagreed with many of Parker’s conclusions, I appreciated her scholarship and her writing style. However, I felt that there were moments of eisegesis and reading ideals into a text that are not actually present, specifically in the Greek and Hebrew.

[Kristie M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Firstly- feminist might not mean what you think it means (yes- I was thinking about the Princess Bride quote).

I appreciated this book as it sought to read scripture with a perspective that reflected Jesus’ view of women.

Quote from Chapter 9
… When I frame Jesus as a feminist, I simply mean that he cared about women and treated them as full people who deserve as much respect as men, which, to me, is the heart of feminism.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I hate to start with the boring part, but this book is WELL researched. It’s also very readable; which is no small feat. It offers some fascinating ideas, bring an open mind and an open heart.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one and was excited enough that I bought it first (I rarely buy books as a Librarian). But I didn't really like it. I could tell from the first chapter that I wasn't going to agree with the author 100%, which is fine. I felt like some of the chapters were better than others and some stuff was just WAY out there in my opinion. I definitely consider myself a Christian feminist but I felt like some of the chapters it was way too much of a stretch for her "feminist interpretation." In chapter 3 she talks about the story of Abraham and Sarah and how they decided to make things happen their own way by using their slave Hagar to have a child with Abraham. She explains this like a modern day surrogate - except it definitely wasn't. Hagar was a slave, so there was NOTHING consensual about this whole thing and that was never brought up at all - that would have been a feminist interpretation to talk about those aspects of Bible stories. She also talked about the role of prostitutes and goddesses in Biblical times - but again it was almost in a way like these women were exalted in that day and time which would not have been the case either. I also felt like some of her more personal examples in the chapters felt forced - some worked really well like what happened with her parents in the chapter about Job. I do agree with her that Jesus is my favorite Jewish feminist too. Overall, I didn't love it. I probably won't keep it either. I feel like a MUCH better book is The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr and as she says just because patriarchy is the backdrop of the Bible doesn't make it Biblical. I would pass on this one.

Some quotes I did like:

"Biblical stories have been used to devalue women and limit their options because of what we are told they mean. Surprisingly, though, a lot of what we think is in the Bible comes from interpreters' biases and not the text itself." (p. 11)

"In Proverbs, the universe is cause and effect: do good, you are rewarded; do bad, you are punished. The book of Job turns this idea on its head and asks, 'Really?!' by showing a virtuous person who endures undeserved strife. Job's friends are convinced that he must have done something terribly wrong - otherwise why would this calamity have befallen him? They cling to a cause-and-effect way of understanding the universe because it works for them. They are safe and believe that Job's actions must have led to his misery. This theology - that horrible things happen to those who deserve the trouble - is as common ('it must be God's will') as it is cruel (blaming the sufferer for their pain)." (p. 76)

"Feminism and the Bible are not at odds with each other. Yes, women have been fed words of the Bible to nurture toxic thinking about their own supposed inferiority. But it is the feeders, not the scriptural food, at fault. No one should shove Bible verses down someone else's throat to make them choke, shrink, or suffer. Rather, we pick up the Bible to see what is good food for the soul, delights the senses, and is desired to make us wise." (p. 129)

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Feminist readings of biblical texts involving women, mostly from the Hebrew Bible. with one chapter on the New Testament.

I’ve benefited enormously in recent years from scholarship from women re-assessing the ways mostly male interpreters have interpreted passages about women, often allowing those passages to be used to the harm of women. While I haven’t agreed with everything in these works, I’ve also been convinced in numerous instances that I’ve read and and taught these passages wrongly. That was the case for me with this new work by Julie Faith Parker. She takes a number of Old Testament stories and offers feminist interpretive insights arising from close exegetical reading and unpacks this in a highly engaging fashion, combined with stories ranging from work with prisoners in Sing-Sing to encountering sexism in pastoral circles.

The title chapter offers a good example of the kind of insights arising from her work. She observes how Eve is often vilified in scripture in ways she believes unwarranted in the biblical account. She observes that Eve had yet to be created when the man had received the instruction not to eat of the tree (her response to the serpent might have reflected how he passed this along). Adam was with her (Genesis 3:6) accounting for the serpent’s use of the plural for “you” and Eve’s “we” in response. She notes that while the man blames both God and the woman, Eve tells the truth about the serpent and her own culpability, not blaming the man. Intriguingly, she observes that only the man (Genesis 3:23-24) is said to be banished from the garden–something that all the art I’ve seen of the expulsion of the first couple had obscured (she may well have left the garden to have children with Adam but only he is explicitly banished). Plainly, we vilify Eve more than the writer of Genesis does.

At the same time, I think Parker valorizes Eve more than is warranted in the text when she writes:

“She is a pioneering theologian who wrestles with the words of God. She is a thoughtful decision-maker who thinks before she acts. She is a curious seeker of knowledge who yearns to understand ethics so she can make her way in the world. She is the mythical mother of all discerning people” (p.22).

I think this goes too far, and supports a narrative that her and Adam’s partaking of the fruit is a triumph rather than a tragedy, something to be celebrated rather than lamented. I also wonder how “discerning” it is to credit the words of a talking serpent more than what God has said, or Adam, who had apparently passed on God’s instruction, even if he stood mutely by. But Parker makes the case for me that Eve (and other women) should not be singled out as evil. Adam’s part in the story, if anything, is far more problematic. That tragedy is that through this episode, we all learned the evil of breaking trust and disobeying God, and all of us are implicated.

Parker goes on to look at the family line of Abraham, the messed up character of this family, and how God affirms the worth of the women in these stories including Sarah and Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah. She challenges the ways we valorize Rahab, the sex worker, not unlike we do in Disney’s version of Pocahontas when both are faced with male conquest and slaughter. She notes the many women who function as prophets, although I would take exception to her valorizing the medium at Endor and including them in this company of women who speak for God. She challenges our understanding of Job’s wife and the statement “Curse God and die” when the Hebrew translated as “curse” is barak or “bless.” Could it be that this is a word of support rather than contempt?

She mixes feminist reading of the Psalms (including wondering about all the others sinned against when David claims to have sinned against God alone in Psalm 51) with an account of hitch-hiking in Central America, getting a ride with a truckload of soldiers, and their own interpretation with guns drawn of “I lift my eyes to the hills.” She recounts her love of prisoners as she teaches the Bible in Sing Sing and her restrained approach to teach the Song of Songs in a room full of male prisoners.

Her one chapter on the New Testament focuses on Jesus, her favorite feminist Jew. She notes the company of women who supported Jesus and ‘learned,” a word for disciple. We are reminded of Mary who gave him birth, who followed, and was with him at his death. We often disparage Martha but she is a diekonei or “minister” to Jesus. And, of course, women were the first witnesses to the resurrection. He also questions our portrayals of Mary Magdalene, observing that “Magdala” could mean “great.”

“Curious, Like Eve” is a chapter of “excurses” from previous chapters. A number are fascinating, raising intriguing ideas. I do question the exegesis of Genesis 1 to support non-binary sexuality based on the use of merisms throughout the account (“evening and morning,” for example, include everything in between) to offer warrant for male and female also including everything in between. This seems to be an argument from silence whereas the so-called “clobber verses” do proscribe certain forms of sexual behavior, which include incest and bestiality, although they say nothing about sexual orientation or gender identity. Can we not affirm what scripture affirms without “clobbering”? Might we not tread carefully where scripture remains silent? I would affirm with the author that in all things, we emulate “the love, generosity, courage, compassion” we find in scripture.

The book closes with two appendices. One on Bible Basics is a help to those trying to make sense of the Bible, and evidences the author’s deep love of the Bible. The other is an annotated bibliography for further study. Each chapter also includes reflection/discussion questions for personal or group use.

I loved reading this author for her ability to translate textual study for the lay reader. I bet she is a great teacher. She continued my education as a white, cisgender male on reading scripture through women’s eyes. Even in the places where I wasn’t convinced or where I took exception, she made me think–always a gift.

____________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[Kenneth Litwak]

This was an interesting book. I was unaware that some dufus centuries ago labeled Eve as a seductress. There's nothing in the Bible to suggest that. One should not read into the Bible what isn't there. That brings me to my one criticism. According to the author, there are times when there are two extremes of something, like sunrise and sunset. The author claimed that it is appropriate to fill in content between these two things. She uses that to justify the idea that God made transgender and gay and lesbian humans. Therefore, such behaviors are acceptable. That is a violent attack on the Bible. It uses a very questionable premise to make the Bible say something that it explicitly rejects. I'm sorry if someone has same-sex attraction or feels like the opposite sex inside. Some of this can be the result of a physically or emotionally absent father. The causes are not genetic. Wherever these orientations or desires come from, they are no more valid as part of God's creative acts than some guy who is a pedophile, or a rapist, or practices bestiality. Eve was deceived by the snake and Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to be their own gods. The same error is done by those who throw out biblical affirmations to define life the way that that they want. Inserting into the Bible an ideology that is contrary to its teachings is invalid. It is as bas as using the Bible to justify racism. That's not in the Bible. Nor is sexually abusing children or women. These are all things the Bible rejects. One can believe that a transgender perspective is valid, but not say in a book about the Bible that the Bible supports this view. There are many things I wish the Bible taught, but that doesn't give me the right to insert them in between the lines.

[Charessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Baker Academic for the eGalley to review!

What a much-needed perspective on the bible! I really enjoyed this fresh take on often-misused scripture. It really opened my eyes up to the exact way the bible is (deliberately) misinterpreted to uphold a patriarchal control over so much of our society, not just for religious folks. I also appreciated the inclusion of intersectional feminism (however, there are a couple of times where Parker says "imagine the outrage if this had been said to a person of color [specifically a Black person] instead of a woman", failing to recognize that Black women are arguably the most oppressed--especially when it comes to the bible--and also the fact that that blatant racism just like blatant misogyny still happens today).

This is definitely an informal read with its many personal interjections, but it also reads like a series of essays and is filled with credible, well-researched information and sincere conjecture. The appendices are extra helpful, with one being Bible Basics (awesome for someone like me who is unfamiliar with it all) and another for further reading. So while informal (and at times disjointed), it is an excellent source of information and, in my opinion, absolutely one to add to a collection for social justice religious studies.

[Alexandria Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, adored it, could not recommend it more!

Full confession: I took three courses with Dr. Parker in 2015-2016, and she was my thesis advisor, so I went into this book expecting to like it. It's written in easy to understand language (not "Bible jargon" like a lot of pastors/academic theologians use when they write a book) and it's written with a vulnerable, sharing voice, so you feel like you're sitting down a with a friend and having a conversation. I learned a lot of new things, mostly about language translation (which I do geek out about). If you're looking for a book that can both make you feel heard, and that can shake up what you thought you knew about parts of the Bible, then this one is it.

[Michelle L. E. Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a believer, though not a biblical scholar. And, I am a most definitely feminist; this review comes from a place of high expectations. I absolutely loved it! First, it’s clearly well researched, and thoughtfully divided into easily digestible sections. I found myself needing to take breaks often to consider my own assumptions, my biases, and my incomplete — and sometimes entirely lacking — understanding of some of the most told and retold stories in the Bible. Second, Dr. Parker’s scrupulous translations and open handed interpretations were refreshing and heart-softening. I felt at times like I was hearing the truth for the first time. And finally, this was just a great read. I found myself excited to learn, to read more. At this stage in my life, that felt remarkable!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun, interesting, and informative book.

I loved the first part, in particular, where she applied the spiritual practice of Sacred Imagination to the Creation Story.

As per usual, this book will likely be prevented from doing the good it could, as those needing to hear, won’t bother, (the introductory anecdote about the medium won’t help, I’m sure), but I’m hoping those that do read, come away with the strength they need to live fully into imago dei.

Thanks to NetGalley, Baker’s Academic, and Brazos Press for this ARC.

[Ruth Cosentino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Faith Parker has the rare ability to create depth and graciousness of space to discover your relationship with God. Dr. Parker, in writing this book, combines mechanical discipline and spiritual awareness. Feminism equals Fair, Future and Faith. This is a must read and I was unable to put Eve Isn't Evil down. I will keep this book on my bookshelf as a reference and resource. Highly recommend!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going back to the original languages and texts, this book provides refreshing reversals and new points of view to consider on some Biblical passages I never knew could be translated differently. The first chapter about Eve is the most in depth and well fleshed out. Prepared to be surprised and challenged in a good way.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid book, with nothing wrong with it. However, at the same time it has some fairly basic insights and thoughts about scripture. I enjoyed the section on Job's wife and it gave me a new perspective on just about the entire book, so that bumps this up from a 3 to a 4 star book for me.

[MaKenzie Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a book I would readily recommend. There are a lot of speculations and stretching of ideas that have definitely given me something to think about and research on my own but not something I completely agreed with at face value.

[Karen P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with a small group of women. It brought interesting conversation. I liked the way she wove her personal stories in with the topic for each chapter. I also like that in each chapter she continues to define feminism.

[Becky Seah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love learning about the Bible and my Christian faith. Very great read, will read again to make sure that I catch all the bits and parts.

[Megan Pratola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction into feminist thought and the Bible. I highly recommend this book as an introduction to anyone interested in learning more about this topic.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely made me look at the Bible from another viewpoint. Good book for study with my small group.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Should've known this would've been rough read when she admitted to consulting a medium (something more than generally frowned on in Christianity) right off the bat and used he/she/they pronouns to refer to the God of the Universe.

[Sarah K · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting book. i neglected to write a review right away, so i will keep this brief...but i have mixed feelings about this book. it started off strong and later chapters seemed a bit more far-fetched to me. i am not a biblical scholar so take what i say with a grain of salt but... i think we often view scripture with western eyes and without the full context it was intended. i think women are more valued by Jesus than our current western church experience leads us to believe. i am not sure about some of what the author discusses now, like pronouns for God being more flexible than "He" but i think this book encouraged me to take a broader look at my faith and see the value God places on women.

[Carlene Walterhouse · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a self proclaimed Christian feminist myself, I wanted to love this but it fell flat. I was expecting to come away with hot new feminist takes on scripture. Although there were moments of refreshing insight (for example translation clarifications, word definitions, context clues) overall nothing stood out as overly new or insightful. Could have been an article. I’ll stick to listening to her on Podcast.

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down. The overuse of parenthetical statements took me right out of the stream of narrative. It was almost like this book was trying TOO hard to be irreverent and breezy, in spite of the rather heavy subject matter.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Julie's writing. She is humorous and easy to read - but alsk, challenging. I didn't agree with all of Julie's points, but I always enjoy reading different perspectives in biblical scholarship. It was a refreshing read!