'All About Eve': Winnetka Church Discusses Female Inequality in the Bible

For many Catholics and Christians, the Bible is a source of comfort, tradition and principles in a world that can be harsh and unpredictable.

But for women, argued lecturer Amanda Huels on Wednesday night, specific parts of the nearly 3,500-year-old book, such as the story of Adam and Eve, have consistently undermined women's equal status to men.

“Eve became the scapegoat for every women,” Huels said to an audience of mostly women, during her lecture series T at .

“All things bad came back to, 'Eve took the (forbidden) apple, Eve made Adam eat the apple....'”

After asserting that the "Story of the Fall" is still prevalent in popular religious beliefs, Huels pointed to the work of social activist and women's rights leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who argued that women should not be subjugated to male authority because of certain Bible stories. 

In her work The Woman's Bible, Stanton contended, “the Bible teaches that woman brought sin and death into the world...that (woman) was arraigned before the judgment seat of heaven, tried, condemned and sentenced.”

Shortly after discussing Stanton's views, Huels asked her audience to form a circle and discuss the role of gender in their personal, public and religious lives.

Dinny Cosyns, who works in advertising, said that inequality between men and women is uncommon in her workplace.

“When I'm marketing (deodorant) for women to all male account executives,” Cosyns said, “guess what – they're listening to me.”

Growing up with brothers, Cosyns never felt like less of a person. She soon realized, however, that unequal pay and division of labor are realities for many women.

“It never occurred to me that [inequality was also] Biblically based,” Cosyns said.

Huels, a gender studies major, who's pursuing a career in youth ministry, agreed with Cosyns.

“I'm not going to be silent in church,” Huels asserted. “I'm going to be a pastor.”

WCC Associate Pastor William Mueller said that Huels is a pioneer for anyone interested in lecturing within the church, which intends to provide programs each month that engage adults in theological, Biblical and social topics.

“We are kind of working with a theme: What are we up to?” said Mueller of the church's growing adult-enrichment program.

“We might have folks in the congregation come and talk to us about their various ministries...or we may have people write their own [lectures], just like Amanda is." 

Looking for more photos of the lecture last night? Patch has it .

The Winnetka Congregational Church invites the community to the free, three-week lecture series held in the Centennial Room, 725 Pine St, Winnetka, Ill.

Two more lectures are scheduled for Wednesday, July 13 and Wednesday, July 20, both from 7 p.m., until 8:30 p.m.

For more information check the WWC's website or call 847-441-3400.