Early Christianity
The Hebrew Scriptures heavily influenced early Christianity (Simpson, 1995). The first of many blows the goddesses received was in the Creation Story. In the Hebrew Creation story, God whose will is absolute, and through no sexual act just sheer expression of will, creates the universe. All of creation occurs through a six-day process of ritual naming. The Creator regards each of His creations as ‘good.’ However, the Hebrew God creates a universe separate from itself, establishing a divine barrier between the Creator and its creations (Ruether, 1992). Thus, establishing a belief that the universe and nature are not connected to the divine, but rather a product of His divine will. In the Hebrew creation story, humans are created in the “image of God.” Human superiority based on being made in the “image of God” evolved into human dominance over the earth (Ruether, 1992).
Defining the Creator of the universe in creation narratives by terms of gender, affects the view, and role of each gender. Having a single gender assigned to the Creator, results in one gender superiority over the other, leading to resentment and violence (Ruether, 1992). The Hebrew belief in creation, a singular male god, left no room or place for goddesses. No longer was a woman needed or part of creation. Ruether analyzes women’s connection to nature, which reveals how the domination over nature by humans (male) is connected the male domination over women. The Hebrew “image of God” is male, thus males are the superior gender. As nature is subservient to humans, women are subservient to males. The superiority of men continues, with Jesus God’s son, as the savior. Now, only through belief in God’s male Son, would a person be saved and able to enter heaven.
Defining the Creator of the universe in creation narratives by terms of gender, affects the view, and role of each gender. Having a single gender assigned to the Creator, results in one gender superiority over the other, leading to resentment and violence (Ruether, 1992). The Hebrew belief in creation, a singular male god, left no room or place for goddesses. No longer was a woman needed or part of creation. Ruether analyzes women’s connection to nature, which reveals how the domination over nature by humans (male) is connected the male domination over women. The Hebrew “image of God” is male, thus males are the superior gender. As nature is subservient to humans, women are subservient to males. The superiority of men continues, with Jesus God’s son, as the savior. Now, only through belief in God’s male Son, would a person be saved and able to enter heaven.
Condren defines the discovery of male’s part in reproductive consciousness as a historical mark in the rise of patriarchy. She continues to define male reproductive consciousness as whole collection of attitudes and strategies on the part of men compensate for their insecure placement within society. Paternity is essentially a cultural construct; no man truly knows if a child is his. Whereas, a mother child relationship develops on many levels from conception to birth; and is certain. Therefore, manhood is not ‘given’ to men, but something which must be ‘achieved.’ The development of the idea of paternity represents a ‘real triumph over the ambiguities of nature (Condren, 1989). Thus, establishing paternity became a main focus in Irish legality, mythology, and ecclesiastical literature (Condren, 1989).