In the Beginning Genesis: 2 and 3
Welcome to Her Heart's Desire, my first attempt at blogging.
For some time now I have been interested in the spirituality of medieval women mystics. In exploring the writings of these women I came across a conversation between Mechtilde of Magdeberg and God.
Mechtilde, born around 1210?, seemed to engage in "Godalogues",---written dialogues with God. In one of those conversations Mechtilde says, "Lord, I bring Thee my treasure." God responds, "What is thy treasure called?" She replies, "Lord! it is called my heart's desire."
Desire is quite a popular topic in today's world, in advertising, in therapy and in religious studies. Whenever women express some dissatisfaction with the status quo, you will hear the question, "what do women want"?
That question, of course, has no single answer. But the question invites one to explore the heart and core of each woman, impossible, yes, but worthy of some curiosity and imagination. Where to begin?
Sometime after the very beginning, before recorded time , humans experienced the divine directly and all of creation was one and good. Mysticism had its roots there, well before religions, rules, judgements, and the priestly castes appeared to separate the divine and the human.
Then in the beginning of recorded time in the biblical story of the Garden of Eden we find the first descriptions of what women want. It tells the story of a woman who wants not to be bound by rules. Rather she wants to know life from God's perspective. Though she lived what should have been a most satisfying life she desired something more. She had everything she needed. What could a person desire when all that is needed is already provided?
Scripture tells us that Eve's interest was captured by the very questions that had been in her heart for some time. Wouldn't she want to know the unknown? Why wouldn't she want to be like God, since she was made in God's image ? And since God had declared that all created beings were good, how could there be be a tree of good and evil? The tree's fruit was , pleasing to the eyes, surely good to eat ,and a desirable source of energy? The directive not to eat of the tree had been a conversation between God and Adam. Had she been included she would have asked questions, gotten clarifications regarding the prohibition that seemed to limit or retract the concept of free will.
It was around that time that her partner, Adam, had become more prone toward making distinctions like good/evil. Feelings of judgement, punishment, and shame were emerging. And that idea of dominion over other creatures was getting out of hand.
With such ideas Eden was no longer all that it promised to be. There were times when Eve had felt she would just like to get away from the confines of it all. There must be more to life, she thought. The realization of death was causing her to want to live ever more fully. She wondered what someone would be willing to die for. Of course she was tempted to bite, wouldn't you be?
Her heart's desire--Eve is the woman who wanted to know God more fully, to understand the mysteries of her world, to know herself fully and ultimately to be true to herself. Eve becomes the first of a species to realize that her life would end and that she would die. Awareness of death teaches the sacredness of life. The death experience often results in developing beliefs about the supernatural realm. Eve represents the first of God's creatures to experience and act on strong mystical thoughts and desires. Perhaps Eve should be credited as the originator of theology.
Points to ponder:
1. Where is the sin in wanting to know God?
2. Sin was a problem addressed by Julian of Norwich, a medieval mystic. The church said one thing while God revealed another to her. Even though she was surrounded by suffering and death, she sees in her "showings" (visions) that God has no wrath, that sin is necessary ("behovely"), and that in the final analysis "all will be well". Does your view of sin match or differ from the teachings of your church?
http://www.gloriana.nu/sin.html http://www.umilta.net/julian.html)
3. Is Genesis a story about the beginnings of life or could it be describing the end of the agricultural age when women were close to the natural world and revered the Earth Mother as the source of life? What do you know about those pre-patriarchal times?
4. The first story of creation in Genesis does not end with a fall but with a blessing. It is believed that the second story of creation was added much later. Why add a second version? Who would have benefitted from including a second creation story in the Bible that includes a fall and a blame?
In his book, Original Blessing, Matthew Fox discusses how the second story impacted man's relationship with all of creation.
5. Hildegard of Bingen wrote passionately about God's love for us and for all of creation. In loving the beauties of creation we are loving the Creator. Hildegard wrote, " Like the billowing clouds, like the incessant gurgle of the brook, the longing of the soul can never be stilled. This longing prompts holy persons to seek their work from God". If the story of Eve describes this longing of woman then why have the curses been put upon Eve and her daughters throughout history?
6. Do the Biblical creation stories enable us to address the critical issues of today's world? Which issues? How?
7. Thomas Berry says the earth's survival requires a new creation story, a new myth/vision. This vision must call humanity to a right relationship again with every creature and with the entire universe. In your own imagination what would that story be?
8. Some feminist theologians believe that the second creation story has been used to make the longest strongest negative impact on women in the Hebrew, Islamic and Christian cultures than any other religious doctrine. Can the story be redeemed? How?
( Joan Chittister has developed a new Theology of Eve. See Benetvision.com)
9. The Eve story deserves to be resurrected and redeemed. Women need to explore how and why she became the source of evil to the human family, rather than the mother of wisdom and a heroine, who confirmed by her choices the gift of free will.
For some time now I have been interested in the spirituality of medieval women mystics. In exploring the writings of these women I came across a conversation between Mechtilde of Magdeberg and God.
Mechtilde, born around 1210?, seemed to engage in "Godalogues",---written dialogues with God. In one of those conversations Mechtilde says, "Lord, I bring Thee my treasure." God responds, "What is thy treasure called?" She replies, "Lord! it is called my heart's desire."
Desire is quite a popular topic in today's world, in advertising, in therapy and in religious studies. Whenever women express some dissatisfaction with the status quo, you will hear the question, "what do women want"?
That question, of course, has no single answer. But the question invites one to explore the heart and core of each woman, impossible, yes, but worthy of some curiosity and imagination. Where to begin?
Sometime after the very beginning, before recorded time , humans experienced the divine directly and all of creation was one and good. Mysticism had its roots there, well before religions, rules, judgements, and the priestly castes appeared to separate the divine and the human.
Then in the beginning of recorded time in the biblical story of the Garden of Eden we find the first descriptions of what women want. It tells the story of a woman who wants not to be bound by rules. Rather she wants to know life from God's perspective. Though she lived what should have been a most satisfying life she desired something more. She had everything she needed. What could a person desire when all that is needed is already provided?
Scripture tells us that Eve's interest was captured by the very questions that had been in her heart for some time. Wouldn't she want to know the unknown? Why wouldn't she want to be like God, since she was made in God's image ? And since God had declared that all created beings were good, how could there be be a tree of good and evil? The tree's fruit was , pleasing to the eyes, surely good to eat ,and a desirable source of energy? The directive not to eat of the tree had been a conversation between God and Adam. Had she been included she would have asked questions, gotten clarifications regarding the prohibition that seemed to limit or retract the concept of free will.
It was around that time that her partner, Adam, had become more prone toward making distinctions like good/evil. Feelings of judgement, punishment, and shame were emerging. And that idea of dominion over other creatures was getting out of hand.
With such ideas Eden was no longer all that it promised to be. There were times when Eve had felt she would just like to get away from the confines of it all. There must be more to life, she thought. The realization of death was causing her to want to live ever more fully. She wondered what someone would be willing to die for. Of course she was tempted to bite, wouldn't you be?
Her heart's desire--Eve is the woman who wanted to know God more fully, to understand the mysteries of her world, to know herself fully and ultimately to be true to herself. Eve becomes the first of a species to realize that her life would end and that she would die. Awareness of death teaches the sacredness of life. The death experience often results in developing beliefs about the supernatural realm. Eve represents the first of God's creatures to experience and act on strong mystical thoughts and desires. Perhaps Eve should be credited as the originator of theology.
Points to ponder:
1. Where is the sin in wanting to know God?
2. Sin was a problem addressed by Julian of Norwich, a medieval mystic. The church said one thing while God revealed another to her. Even though she was surrounded by suffering and death, she sees in her "showings" (visions) that God has no wrath, that sin is necessary ("behovely"), and that in the final analysis "all will be well". Does your view of sin match or differ from the teachings of your church?
http://www.gloriana.nu/sin.html http://www.umilta.net/julian.html)
3. Is Genesis a story about the beginnings of life or could it be describing the end of the agricultural age when women were close to the natural world and revered the Earth Mother as the source of life? What do you know about those pre-patriarchal times?
4. The first story of creation in Genesis does not end with a fall but with a blessing. It is believed that the second story of creation was added much later. Why add a second version? Who would have benefitted from including a second creation story in the Bible that includes a fall and a blame?
In his book, Original Blessing, Matthew Fox discusses how the second story impacted man's relationship with all of creation.
5. Hildegard of Bingen wrote passionately about God's love for us and for all of creation. In loving the beauties of creation we are loving the Creator. Hildegard wrote, " Like the billowing clouds, like the incessant gurgle of the brook, the longing of the soul can never be stilled. This longing prompts holy persons to seek their work from God". If the story of Eve describes this longing of woman then why have the curses been put upon Eve and her daughters throughout history?
6. Do the Biblical creation stories enable us to address the critical issues of today's world? Which issues? How?
7. Thomas Berry says the earth's survival requires a new creation story, a new myth/vision. This vision must call humanity to a right relationship again with every creature and with the entire universe. In your own imagination what would that story be?
8. Some feminist theologians believe that the second creation story has been used to make the longest strongest negative impact on women in the Hebrew, Islamic and Christian cultures than any other religious doctrine. Can the story be redeemed? How?
( Joan Chittister has developed a new Theology of Eve. See Benetvision.com)
9. The Eve story deserves to be resurrected and redeemed. Women need to explore how and why she became the source of evil to the human family, rather than the mother of wisdom and a heroine, who confirmed by her choices the gift of free will.
posted by Her Heart's Desire @ 5:42 PM
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