For the Sake of Man: Woman’s Creation and Theological Hierarchies in Jewish and Christian Thought - A Critical View

من أجل الرجل: خلق المرأة والهياكل العقدية في الفكر اليهودي والمسيحي – قراءة نقدية

Abstract

The question of whether woman was created “for the sake of man” has remained central to theological anthropology in both Jewish and Christian traditions. This article examines the interpretive frameworks that have historically shaped the subordination of women, beginning with the biblical accounts of Genesis and extending through rabbinic exegesis, patristic theology, medieval scholasticism, and Reformation debates. In Jewish tradition, the dual creation narratives of Genesis 1 and 2 generated contrasting views: the first suggesting equality—“male and female he created them”—and the second portraying woman as derivative, formed from Ādam’s rib as his helper. Rabbinic interpretation, along with liturgical practices such as the daily blessing in which men thanked God “for not having made me a woman,” reinforced patriarchal order. The myth of Lilith offered a counter-voice but was marginalized, while medieval authorities like Maimonides codified women’s inferiority in law and theology. Christian thought inherited these tensions, reframing them through Eve, the archetype of disobedience, and Mary, the “new Eve,” exalted for her obedience yet separated from ordinary women. Patristic figures such as Augustine interpreted Eve’s role in the Fall as confirming female subordination, embedding it within the doctrine of original sin. Scholastic theology, particularly in Aquinas, further naturalized hierarchy by describing woman as a “deficient male.” The Reformers, Luther and Calvin, maintained these structures, situating women within divinely ordained domestic and ecclesial subjection.By tracing these trajectories, this study demonstrates how the doctrine of woman’s creation “for man” legitimized enduring theological hierarchies, while modern feminist critiques expose its impact on debates over ordination, authority, and gender roles.