Journal: Conspectus
Volume: CONSPECTUS 30:1 (Oct 2020)
Article: Book Review
Author: Jonathan Tysick

Conspectus 30:1 (October 2020) p. 110

Book Review

Jonathan Tysick

Benckhuysen, Amanda W. 2019. The Gospel according to Eve: A History of Women’s Interpretation. Downers Grove: IVP Academic. 260 pp. ISBN: 978–0830852277. Approx. 375 ZAR (25 USD). Paperback.

This article: https://www.sats.edu.za/book-review-benckhuysen-gospel-according-to-eve

1. Author Profile

Amanda Benckhuysen is professor of OT at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, where she has taught since 2014. Prior to this, she taught for six years at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, USA. Before entering academia, Benckhuysen was a campus minister and is currently ordained within the Christian Reformed Church. In her research, she is especially interested in biblical hermeneutics and the history of biblical interpretation.

2. Background And Purpose Of The Book

The importance of the creation account in Genesis 1–3 cannot be overstated in terms of our understanding of what it means to be human, specifically, what it means to be a man or a woman. Influential interpreters throughout church history have posited answers to questions that Genesis 1–3 beckons us to ask: What is the significance of men and women being made in the image of God (1:27)? Why was Eve created after Adam and what does this created order signify (2:18–25)? What are the implications of Eve being created from Adam’s rib (2:21)? Why did the serpent speak to Eve and not to Adam (3:1–5)? What motivated Eve to take the fruit and give it to her husband (3:6)? What do God’s declarations about men and women teach us about the relationship between the genders in a fallen world versus his original intention (3:16–19)? What implications does this text have in terms of how men and women should act in society, the home, and the church?

Conspectus 30:1 (October 2020) p. 111

As they looked at the rest of Scripture, gifted interpreters have sought to answer other questions as well: How do we make sense of Paul’s interpretation of the Adam and Eve narrative in 1 Timothy 2:13–15 and in his other discussions about the relationship between men and women (see 1 Cor 11 and 14 especially)? How does Jes...