When God Was a Woman

The Fall refers to the biblical narrative of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden, which Stone identifies as a foundational myth that has shaped Western attitudes toward women for millennia. In the context of When God Was a Woman, Stone argues that this story represents more than a religious teaching about humanity’s loss of Paradise. The Fall serves as a deliberate narrative construction that places blame for humanity’s spiritual downfall on Eve, and by extension, all women. 

Stone contends that this myth emerged from male-centered religions as they sought to suppress earlier goddess worship traditions, creating a story that justified female subordination by portraying women as inherently untrustworthy and morally weak. According to Stone’s analysis, the Fall narrative has continued to influence contemporary society’s treatment of women, even in secular contexts, by embedding the idea of female culpability deep within Western cultural consciousness.

“Fertility-cults” is the term commonly used by scholars and religious authorities to describe ancient goddess religions that included sacred sexual practices. Stone argues that this label is misleading and derogatory, as it reduces complex religious systems to their sexual components while ignoring their broader spiritual, social, and economic functions.