Theodoret of Cyrus: Imagine if Woman Had Been from Some Less Romantic Part of Adam

Why did he form the woman from the side of Adam?

It was the will of the Creator of the order of nature to bring the sexes together in harmony. Therefore, he formed Adam from the earth, and the woman from Adam, to demonstrate the identity of nature and to instill in them a natural affection for each other. If even after this, husbands fight with wives, and wives with husbands, what would they not have done if he had formed the woman from some other source?

He showed his wisdom not only in dividing, but also in reuniting, them, for marriage combines the sexes into one. Scripture says, remember, "The two will become one flesh." The truth of this is confirmed by experience. Through marital intercourse one fruit sprouts up from both, its seed coming from him, its nourishment from her, with the Creator of nature bringing it to full term.

- Theodoret of Cyrus (around A.D. 393 to around A.D. 457), Questions on the Octateuch, Question 30 on Genesis, p. 69 (2007), Robert C. Hill translator.

John Chrysostom: Case When Women can Teach

First, let us launch our case by citing the case of women for you to see how blessed Paul, who put shackles on them, was also the one in turn to undo them. "If a woman has an unbeliever for her husband, and he consents to live with her, she is not to dismiss him." Why? "For all you know, you might save your husband." How, you ask, can a wife save him? By teaching, instructing, encouraging to a consideration of piety. Yesterday, to be sure, blessed Paul, you said, "I allow no woman to teach;" so how is it you go on to make her the teacher of her husband? Far from contradicting myself, I am actually quite consistent. At any rate, listen to why he disqualified her, and why in turn he promotes her to the position of teaching, so that you may discover Paul's wisdom. Let a man teach, he says. Why? Because he was not deceived; the text says, "Because Adam was not deceived." Let a woman learn, he says. Why? Because she was deceived; the text says, "The woman was deceived and became a transgressor." In the present case, on the other hand, the opposite is true: since the husband is a non-believer and the wife a believer, let the wife do the teaching, he says. Why? Because she has not been deceived, being a believer. So let the husband do the learning: he was deceived, being a non-believer. The role of teaching has been reversed, he is saying; now let the exercise of lordship be reversed. Do you see in each case he shows lordship following upon deceit and sin, not upon nature? From the beginning, then, deceit came to the woman, and subjection followed upon deceit; later deceit was transferred to the man, and subjection was also transferred.

- John Chrysostom (around A.D. 347 to around A.D. 407), Sermon 5 on Genesis, in St. John Chrysostom, Eight Sermons on the Book of Genesis, pp. 82-83 (2004), Robert C. Hill translator.

John Chrysostom: God's Judgment on Woman is Profitable

Do you see how, while sin introduced submission, God in His design and wisdom also employed these to our advantage? Listen to how Paul also speaks of this submission so that you may learn once more the harmony of Old and New: "Let a woman learn in silence with full submission." Do you see Him, too, subjecting the woman to the man? But wait a while, and listen to the actual reason: why does He say "with full submission"? "I do not allow a woman to teach." Why? Once she taught Adam wrongly. "Nor to have authority over a man." Why not? Once she used authority wrongly. "Only to keep silence." Give the reason for that, too. "It was not Adam who was deceived: the woman was deceived, and became a transgressor." Hence He forced her down from the throne of teaching. In other words, He is saying, let the one who does not know how to teach learn; but if they refuse to learn and still want to teach, they will be ruination of both themselves and the pupils - which is what happened at that time in the woman's case.

- John Chrysostom (around A.D. 347 to around A.D. 407), Sermon 4 on Genesis, in St. John Chrysostom, Eight Sermons on the Book of Genesis, pp. 65-66 (2004), Robert C. Hill translator.

John Chrysostom: Woman was Man's Equal befor Fall

First, then, is the form of government and of slavery by which men have power also over women, there being need of this after sin. Before the disobedience, you see, she was equal in dignity to the man: when God formed her; the words He had used in the formation of the man he used also in the creation of the woman. As He had said in his case, then, Let us make a human being in our image and likeness, and did not say, Let there be a human being, likewise in her case as well He did not say, Let there be a woman, but here too Let us make him a helpmate, and not simply a helpmate but like him, again indicating her equality of dignity.

- John Chrysostom (around A.D. 347 to around A.D. 407), Sermon 4 on Genesis, in St. John Chrysostom, Eight Sermons on the Book of Genesis, p. 63 (2004), Robert C. Hill translator.

John Chrysostom: Naming the Animals Proof of Man's Dominion

We fear and dread the wild animals, and fall short of governing them; far from denying this, I personally admit it. This does not prove God's law false, however: in the beginning this was not the case, the animals being in fear and trembling, and submitting to the human being as master. But since we lost their confidence and respect, we accordingly dread them. Proof of this? God brought the animals to Adam to see what he would call them. Instead of taking to his heels as though in fear, Adam gave them all names as though submissive slaves, which is a sign of lordship. Hence, in his His wish to show him through this the high level of His authority as well, He entrusted him with the imposition of names, and the ones given by him remained current: They all had the name Adam gave them. This, of course, is one sign that in the beginning the wild beasts were not frightening to the human being, and the second is even clearer, the serpent's conversation with the woman.

- John Chrysostom (around A.D. 347 to around A.D. 407), Sermon 3 on Genesis, in St. John Chrysostom, Eight Sermons on the Book of Genesis, pp. 56-57 (2004), Robert C. Hill translator.

John Chrysostom: Man (not Woman) in the Image of God

Why, then, is the man referred to as God's image, but no longer the woman? Because he is not using image in terms of form, but image in respect of government, which the man alone has, but no longer the woman as well. After all, he is subject to no one, whereas she is under him, as God said, "Your turning will be towards your husband, and he will lord it over you." Hence the man is the image of God, since he has no one over him, just as the is no one above God, who governs everything; the woman, on the other hand, is the man's glory, since she is subject to the man.

- John Chrysostom (around A.D. 347 to around A.D. 407), Sermon 2 on Genesis, in St. John Chrysostom, Eight Sermons on the Book of Genesis, pp. 48-49 (2004), Robert C. Hill translator.

John Chrysostom: No Glass Ceiling for Priesthood

Let us note, however, how she planted him; let us follow the woman, let us enter into the temple with her. "She went up with him," the text says, "to Shiloh with a three year-old heifer." Then the double offering occurred: one was irrational, a heifer, the other rational; while the priest sacrificed the former, the woman offered the latter - or, rather, the woman's sacrifice was better than the sacrifice the priest offered. She was, in fact, a priestess in her very being, imitating the patriarch Abraham and rivaling him for preeminence: whereas he took his son and descended, she let hers stay permanently in the temple - or, rather, he also made the offering in a broad sense; be sure to focus, not on the fact that he took no life, but on the fact that he saw to its completion in his will. Do you see the woman rivaling the man? do you see there was no obstacle on the part of nature to her emulating the patriarch.

- John Chrysostom (around A.D. 347 to around A.D. 407), Homilies on Hannah, Homily 3, in St. John Chrysostom, Old Testament Homilies, Volume 1, p. 102 (2003), Robert C. Hill translator.

Theodoret of Cyrus: Wife Can Outdo Husband in Zeal

Greet Prisca [sic] and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus (v.19). Once again he gave pride of place to the wife over the husband: she was far and away the more zealous, and displayed greater enthusiasm for good causes.

- Theodoret of Cyrus (around A.D. 393 to around A.D. 457), Commentary on 2 Timothy, Chapter 4, in Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Letters of St. Paul, Volume 2, p. 249 (2001), Robert C. Hill translator.