The Eden Couple: Beyond Feminism and Patriarchy

By Vincent Chukwuma Onwukwe

The primary concern of this book is to point out and challenge the male-centred and female-centred interpretations of the second creation narrative. The author explored the narrative of Genesis 2:4b-3:20 from an African contextual perspective, focusing in particular on how the male-centred interpretation of the narrative can affect the relationship between men and women and strengthen the gender demarcation between them. To this end, some elements of the text which have been labelled 'male-centred' were highlighted.
This book also investigates how feminist critics have responded to the androcentric interpretations of the second creation narrative. By juxtaposing 'conventional' male readings and the feminist (African woman's) approach to the Genesis narrative, this book uncovers similarities and differences and contributes to a broader (non-patriarchal and non-feminist) understanding of this pivotal biblical text that can ultimately speak to the African context and perhaps contribute to a rethinking of those pan-African cultural expressions that do not uphold the dignity of women.
The author argues that even though the second creation narrative may have been written based on some patriarchal and male-centred orientations, it is no longer necessary to interpret it as such. He maintains that some elements in the text can be used to challenge male-centredness in the relationship between men and women. This book does not dispute the fact that male-centred interpretations of the second creation narrative can enhance the patriarchal expressions that marginalise women, especially in Africa. However, such interpretations should be challenged since biblical texts speak to readers in various contexts. This book, therefore, emphasises that one can go beyond patriarchy and feminism in the understanding of the second creation narrative. In other words, it is limiting to concentrate only on patriarchy and feminism while interpreting the Eden narrative.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GS91Q1KR
• ISBN13: 9798250781220
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"