Check out Dr Beth Allison Barr and buy her books!

Hang out with the Matrons of Spice at I Read Something Bad.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview

06:36 The Making of Biblical Womanhood: Unapologetic and Radical

09:07 Separating Patriarchy from Faith: The Importance of Historical Context

15:04 Dealing with Pushback and Criticism: Setting Boundaries and Focusing on Evidence

19:07 Finding Liberation in Christianity: Women's Voices Throughout History

24:11 The Reformation's Impact on Women: Solidifying Patriarchal Structures

32:42 The Undermining of Reformation Theology

33:09 The Insertion of Male Spiritual Leadership

34:07 Addressing Residual Patriarchy in Egalitarian Spaces

44:38 Teaching as a Tool for Change

49:57 Taylor Swift: Resilience and Advocacy

We’re picking back up with our walk through Paul, Women & Wives next week, but I couldn’t wait to share this pertinent discussion with Dr. Beth Allison Barr about the historicity of egalitarian theology that I recorded MONTHS ago. Not only did I think this detour would give folks a chance to purchase the book and read it without rushing (if they wanted to deep dive with me), I also feel like this conversation adds some super helpful historical context to the soul care/formation aspect of our discussion. Plus… this episode was burning a hole in my pocket and I couldn’t sit on it any longer.

Dr. Barr is the author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood, which you should absolutely read too. She’s a professor at Baylor and a bit of a celebrity in the evangelical world because of her research and communication around women’s historical role in the Church1. That’s also why Dr. Barr has been a target for those committed to preserving a patriarchal hierarchy and even folks who want to continue this deeply harmful trench warfare approach to gender roles in Jesus’ movement.

The subtitle of her book is “how the subjugation of women became gospel truth,” and that’s so powerful because it speaks to a critical reality of women’s roles in the church: it wasn’t always like this. As a historian, she presents compelling evidence that this concept of “biblical womanhood” we see expressed in the vast majority of evangelical church cultures is not what Jesus intended. Nor was it the way the early church operated. If we listen to Dr. Barr, women were never intended to be subordinate to men or limited in their calling to fulfill the Great Commission.

Our conversation explored some of The Making of Biblical Womanhood but also its reception… specifically how the aftermath affected Dr. Barr herself. And it wasn’t great. The way people talked and continue to talk to her is appalling. Just taking a peek at her mentions is to stare into the void. Hundreds of men (and women) spouting some of the ugliest, un-Christlike nonsense. Which underscores the need for a better way to have the conversations around women in ministry. I truly believe listening to Dr. Barr won’t only shift your perspective, it also equip and empower you to follow Jesus and read Scripture in a different way.