Adam, Eve and the Subordination of Women

Women have suffered “total subordination” throughout recorded history, according to a United States historian visiting The University of Auckland this month.

Professor Robert McElvaine of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi is the author of the bestselling book “Eve’s Seed”, which provides an alternative view on the evolution of men and women.

Professor McElvaine argues that women have suffered inequality throughout history due to a mistaken conclusion that developed in the Neolithic Age.

He believes that the development of agriculture (planting seeds in the fields) and the parallel of the seed being planted by Adam into Eve – created the “seed metaphor”. “This reversed the position of the sexes and led to the mistaken belief that it was men who had procreative power, and women who were inferior.”

He also argues that because men were seen to hold procreative power, then God must also be male. “This formed the albeit unspoken basis for male authority throughout history,” Professor McElvaine says. “Indeed most religions since the development of this metaphor have advanced and continue to advance the argument of male superiority and female subordination.”

Professor McElvaine says while women in western societies have greater equality today, the “seed metaphor” nevertheless continues to result in inequality between the sexes around the world.

One way to deal with the “misshaping of the human experience”, according to Professor McElvaine, is for society to reject the idea that God is male. “The second way is to acknowledge the catastrophic effect of the seed metaphor, so that we can move toward a full acceptance of equality between the sexes.”

Professor McElvaine is Elizabeth Chisholm Professor of Arts & Letters and Chair of the Department of History at Millsaps College. He has written nine books and appeared on over 60 major television and radio programmes in the United States. His articles and opinion pieces are regularly published in leading US publications including the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

For further information:

Megan Baldwin

(09) 486 6544

Media are invited to Professor McElvaine’s lecture “Eve’s Seed” The Prehistoric Sources of the History of Men and Women.

Where: The University of Auckland History Department, Room 59, 7 Wynyard Street

When: Friday May 21

Time: 3.00pm