Feminine Sin and Female Scientists

The words sin and science are seldom mentioned in the same sentence. However, I suspect that sin, both individual and societal, is a contributing factor to the fact that male scientists outnumber female ones. This suggestion is not intended to produce the guilt and shame that is already so common in women, but intended rather to illuminate an issue and perhaps guide strategies to change. The gender gap in science has been addressed primarily in feminist and sociological literature; there has been little discussion from a Christian perspective. In this presentation, I fi rst review the literature on the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), and then summarize the biblical/theological literature on gender equality. I next turn to the biblical/theological concept of sin (typically construed as pride and arrogance, which tend to be associated with men) and discuss how considering so-called “feminine” sin (neglecting responsible dominion and undervaluing oneself) can contribute to both our understanding of and our response to the gender gap in STEM.