The Role of Women in Original Sin According to John Calvin
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Abstract
The doctrine of Original Sin is a fundamental tenet in Christian theology that explains the human condition of sinfullness and the need for salvation, predicated upon in the narrative of the upercase in the Book of Genesis. Throughout the history of Christianity, this doctrine has undergone various theological interpretations, notably concerning is the role of women in Lapsarian narrative of man. John Calvin, as a Christian Reformation figure, exerted a profound influence upon the Protestant church tradition, including in Indonesia. In the Calvinist tradition, women are often positioned as the initial cause of the fall, consequently this view often places a low position on women in religious and social life. As biblical studies, feminist theology, and contemporary gender studies have developed, this view has begun to be questioned because it is cperceived as obscuring the shared responsibilities of Adam and Eve. This research aims to analyse the meaning of Original Sin and the role of Women in the doctrine of Original Sin from the perspective of John Calvin through an exegesis of the narrative of Genesis 3. This research is expected to contribute to the field of da'wah, which can provide an overview of Christian theological beliefs as a basis for counter-apologetics or missiological movements. This research uses a qualitative method with a theological approach to analyse the concept and doctrine of original sin in Christian theology. The research data is in the form of theological texts that are analysed through the content analysis method by identifying, classifying, and inter-presenting arguments and thought patterns related to original sin. This approach is used to reveal the position and role of women in the narrative of original sin according to John Calvin's perspective in depth and systematically. The results of the study show that in John Calvin's theology, the role of women in the event of the fall is understood as a historical and moral involvement, but not as a theological cause of original sin. Calvin affirms that original sin is universal not because of the chronological order of transgression, but because of Adam's position as the federal headship in a covenant relationship with God. Thus, the centre of the doctrine of original sin lies not in women, but in the collective transgression of human beings against the word of God. The study also found that Calvin's interpretation differed from some of the earlier theological traditions that tended to blame women, because Calvin refused to make gender the basis for inheritance of sin. Therefore, Calvin's thought theologically opened up a more proportionate reading of women's role in the narrative of the fall and rejected the theological policy of the degradation of women in the doctrine of original sin.