Introduction In modern society, especially since the 1960s, there has been a strong push for women’s equality. There are many Christians and non-Christians who believe Christianity had a hand in the perpetuation of the patriarchy leading to misogyny. Christians who oppose this idea may argue that it is founded on a lack of theological knowledge, that there is biblical evidence supporting that God desires equality, and that discrimination is not condoned in biblical stories and teachings. It is easy to initially construct the notion of misogyny in the Old Testament when acquiring only a shallow view of scripture. However, when applying a hermeneutical approach, one can see that equality among genders is a common theme. The Bible itself is, without a doubt, patriarchal in nature, but presents evidence of equality. Of note is the theme of religious equality; “that is, equality of the woman as a person before God.” This essay will explore various events in the Bible, beginning in Genesis, to support the claim that the Old Testament, though patriarchal, is not misogynistic and demeaning to women.
Equality in Genesis Genesis states, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27, NKJV). This verse provides evidence for equality between women and men and that they are both made in the image of God. Taking a look at Genesis 1:26-28 as a whole shows that the words “image” or “likeness” were used four times and implies significance. Men and women are both Godlike according to this passage, supporting that God created them equally. An examination of the second chapter of Genesis echoes the same idea. However, some may oppose this by arguing that woman being made second to man suggests inferiority. The argument may also be made that the word “helper” in Genesis 2:20 connotes the inferiority of