The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth
- Downloads：9806
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-20 14:33:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Beth Allison Barr
- ISBN：B08CJHYGRN
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Alyssa Peterson-DeWitt
，
Absolutely incredible read。 Beth Allison Barr invites us to survey history in order to understand if “biblical womanhood” is actually biblical （spoiler: it’s not; it’s the patriarchy）。 I can’t recommend this work enough！
Ellen Vosburg
，
Beth Allison Barr in The Making of Biblical Womanhood argues persuasively that “Complementarianism is patriarchy， and patriarchy is power。 Neither have ever been about Jesus” （218）。 Barr asserts from the beginning that “Christian” patriarchy merely baptizes the patriarchy of the world that demeans and devalues women， and thus adopts the ways of the world rather than living in the freedom and equity of God’s intentions for women and men。 Barr’s argument is multi-faceted。 She reexamines contempora Beth Allison Barr in The Making of Biblical Womanhood argues persuasively that “Complementarianism is patriarchy， and patriarchy is power。 Neither have ever been about Jesus” （218）。 Barr asserts from the beginning that “Christian” patriarchy merely baptizes the patriarchy of the world that demeans and devalues women， and thus adopts the ways of the world rather than living in the freedom and equity of God’s intentions for women and men。 Barr’s argument is multi-faceted。 She reexamines contemporary interpretation and uses of Paul’s letters， brings to light an oft-overlooked tradition of medieval Christian women’s leadership， and exposes the modern innovation of “biblical womanhood” as just that， an innovation with little basis in truly Christian theology。 Patriarchy is a Hydra that will continue to find fresh expression until Jesus returns to bring his Kingdom fully。 But The Making of Biblical Womanhood is a big nail in the coffin of evangelical complementarianism， which will have to answer Barr’s arguments if the movement desires to stay relevant。 Freedom for God’s women （and men） is well on the way and， indeed， is already here。 。。。more
Karen
，
In this historical survey， Beth Alison Barr offers several meaningful iterations of the following argument， "Patriarchy may be a part of Christian history， but that doesn't make it Christian。" Drawing from historical and Biblical texts and scholarship， Dr。 Barr asks important questions， such as: "What if we have been reading Paul wrong？" and "What if instead of replicating an ancient gender hierarchy， Paul was showing us how the Christian gospel sets even the Roman household free？" Barr brings u In this historical survey， Beth Alison Barr offers several meaningful iterations of the following argument， "Patriarchy may be a part of Christian history， but that doesn't make it Christian。" Drawing from historical and Biblical texts and scholarship， Dr。 Barr asks important questions， such as: "What if we have been reading Paul wrong？" and "What if instead of replicating an ancient gender hierarchy， Paul was showing us how the Christian gospel sets even the Roman household free？" Barr brings us along for a look into forgotten stories and sermons from medieval Christian history and frequently overlooked impact of the Reformation on Christian women。 Each chapter offers a unique angle for our consideration。Having been a faithful member of complementarian congregations for decades， Barr， an academic historian， brings her whole self to this book。 She looks at the modern concept of "Biblical womanhood，" and argues， "Isn't it ironic （not to mention tiresome） that we spend so much time fighting to make Christianity look like the world around us instead of fighting to make it look like Jesus Christ？ Shouldn't it be the other way around？" The author examines unfaithful translations of several Biblical texts， showing how cultural assumptions about women have shaped certain translation choices， writing some women out of the story。 "The world of early modern England treated women as dependent on men， and this cultural attitude was translated into the English Bible。" This book has inspired me to learn and read further on these topics， seeking out the Biblical scholars and historians cited in this book in order to learn more about the women forgotten by our modern churches。 "Women stand with a great cloud of witnesses。 It is time， far past time， for us to remember。" 。。。more
Fritz Klug
，
Beth Allison Barr’s “The Making of Biblical Womanhood” is a detailed and approachable study of an idea that has plagued American Christianity: Biblical Patriarchy。 While many may not know what the exact term “Biblical Womanhood” means， we are familiar with its basic teaching: God has ordained men/husbands to be leaders and women/wives to support them， raise children and tend to the household。 This means women should have no leadership roles and， in Barr’s case， not even be able to teach Sunday S Beth Allison Barr’s “The Making of Biblical Womanhood” is a detailed and approachable study of an idea that has plagued American Christianity: Biblical Patriarchy。 While many may not know what the exact term “Biblical Womanhood” means， we are familiar with its basic teaching: God has ordained men/husbands to be leaders and women/wives to support them， raise children and tend to the household。 This means women should have no leadership roles and， in Barr’s case， not even be able to teach Sunday School to adolescent male students。 While secular society has battled against patriarchy in the past century， many evangelical leaders have dug in to keep it。 They say: these roles are clearly outlined in the Bible！ But as Barr points out throughout her book， they don’t know the full history。In eight chapters， Barr explores the actual role of women in scripture and history and how it is different from the version of history many churches teach。 The first part of the book looks at what the Gospels say about the roles of men and women， looking beyond the *sola scriptura* of modern English translations to the actual cultural context that Apostles lived in。 Barr then surveys the history of Christian women in Ancient Rome， the Middle Ages and the Reformation to refute the justification that Biblical Womanhood has always been there。Interwoven with the history is Barr’s personal story: growing up in a Baptist church， involvement with a church at which her husband was a pastor， and her awakening that the Biblical Womanhood “theology” is actually putting a perverted Biblical bow on patriarchy。 Barr details her own journey and the repercussions raising issues detailed in the book had: her husband losing his job and their family losing a community。 Barr’s personal experiences are important to give the context in which this book was written as well as the effects the ideology can have。“The Making of Biblical Womanhood” is an excellent introduction to the ideas and history has infected many of our churches and cultural understanding of what a Christianity actually teaches。Barr illustrates throughout that “the subjugation of women is indeed a historical constant—but that doesn’t make it divinely ordained” and that “as Christians we are called to be different from the world。 Yet in our treatment of women， we often look just like everyone else。”This is an important book for any Christian who’s grappled with the question of Biblical Womanhood， those， like me， who didn’t know how to talk about these issues and， hopefully most of all， for those who’ve left the Church at large because of it。 The ideas and women Barr presents may not be taught in many Sunday schools or seminaries， but are vital to bring us to the full feast of becoming new humans in Christ。 。。。more
Evan Vossman
，
I’ve been waiting a long time for this book to come out and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 Barr does an excellent job distilling her training as a historian into a very approachable overview of patriarchy and its intersection with Christian theology。 One sentence from the final page sums up her thesis quite nicely: “Complementarianism is patriarchy， and patriarchy is about power。 Neither have ever been about Jesus。” Amen！
Kelli
，
This book was one of those ones you didn't know you needed until you read it。 I had no clue that medieval history was so important， interesting， and applicable to modern readings of the Bible。 The author does a wonderful job of relating her professional expertise in medieval literature focusing on women with the practical reality of her and her husband's story of leaving （really， being fired） from a church that refused to allow her to teach a high school Sunday school class because it had boys i This book was one of those ones you didn't know you needed until you read it。 I had no clue that medieval history was so important， interesting， and applicable to modern readings of the Bible。 The author does a wonderful job of relating her professional expertise in medieval literature focusing on women with the practical reality of her and her husband's story of leaving （really， being fired） from a church that refused to allow her to teach a high school Sunday school class because it had boys in it （she could teach Ph。D students at Baylor but not 13 year old boys）。 This book thoroughly explains why many church's views on women in leadership and teaching is not just wrong， its secular patriarchy that has been allowed to infiltrate the very egalitarian and paradigm changing views of Jesus that placed men and women together with goals that were different from society。 It is time to end Christian patriarchy because it's not biblical， its the result of years of abused by the church， and women need to step up and admit what they know is true。 That God calls them just as men are called。 A great NPR interview was done with the author:https://www。npr。org/2021/04/15/987552。。。 。。。more
Rachel
，
Biblical womanhood is not biblical。” This is the thesis Beth Allison Barr seeks to communicate in her book， "The Making of Biblical Womanhood。" Drawing on her expertise as a Professor of History at Baylor University， Dr。 Barr masterfully demonstrates that although “the subjugation of women is indeed a historical constant—this doesn’t make it divinely ordained。”In this powerfully engaging and compelling book， Barr weaves together historical knowledge and personal experience to refute the concept Biblical womanhood is not biblical。” This is the thesis Beth Allison Barr seeks to communicate in her book， "The Making of Biblical Womanhood。" Drawing on her expertise as a Professor of History at Baylor University， Dr。 Barr masterfully demonstrates that although “the subjugation of women is indeed a historical constant—this doesn’t make it divinely ordained。”In this powerfully engaging and compelling book， Barr weaves together historical knowledge and personal experience to refute the concept of biblical womanhood。 Barr’s vulnerability and transparency are what make this book stand out from so many others。 Instead of dealing with the issue from a merely academic standpoint， Barr helps readers understand the experience of women in complementarian spaces。 “Gender hierarchies oppress and damage both women and men。”Although it was painful experiences that prompted her to finally speak up about this issue， Dr。 Barr’s conclusions are the result of documented research。 She asserts that biblical womanhood is not founded in Scripture。 Instead， it is a product of culture。 She shows how the church’s rationale for women’s subjugation “shapeshifts” throughout history as the culture changes。 At the end of the introductory chapter， Barr states， “it was historical evidence that showed me how biblical womanhood was constructed—brick by brick， century by century。 This is what changed my mind。 Maybe it will change yours too。”The evidence is what changed my mind as well。 I encourage you to read this book！ Its engaging style makes it a pleasure to read。 Its powerful content can set you free！ 。。。more
Nicole Wilson
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Beth Allison Barr carefully weaves her church experiences with her academic expertise to create a compelling argument that although women have been subjected throughout history， patriarchy is neither Biblical or helpful。 Barr creates a helpful timeline for how the subjection of women has become more pronounced over time due to the fear of men regarding losing power and control。 I especially appreciate her breakdown of some passages by Paul and the explanations of some Bible translations。
Nicole
，
Writers read。 We read for pleasure， for learning， and to understand the world。 We read new ideas， old ideas， innovative ideas。 We read to understand ourselves and others。 We read to unplug from our own writing。 We read to see different styles of writing， to read analytically and critically。 We read to educate ourselves and grow。 We read to investigate。 We read with a keen eye for different perspectives。 We read。Nothing else has shifted my perspective on who God made women to be， like The Making Writers read。 We read for pleasure， for learning， and to understand the world。 We read new ideas， old ideas， innovative ideas。 We read to understand ourselves and others。 We read to unplug from our own writing。 We read to see different styles of writing， to read analytically and critically。 We read to educate ourselves and grow。 We read to investigate。 We read with a keen eye for different perspectives。 We read。Nothing else has shifted my perspective on who God made women to be， like The Making of Biblical Womanhood。 I became a believer 36 years ago， at age 18， during the height of the evangelical movement。 Evangelical is all I’ve ever known。 For a long time， I questioned why women， who were the ones to bear the Son of God and preach that Jesus was risen， were at the same time quieted in churches， quieted in marriages。 It never really settled right with me。 But， like a good Christian， I accepted what the churches taught about Paul’s direction for women， but “could we have missed Paul’s point （again）？” I also accepted when the church taught that slavery， while we see it in the Word as ancient cultural custom， obviously wasn’t acceptable for our time。 But not so with women。 And I always wondered， isn’t there something different about how we see women now？ But the church said no， women are the same as they’ve always been， subjugated。 But it always made me wonder。When I had an opportunity to receive an ARC of this book， I jumped at it， because， writers read。 Dr。 Beth Allison Barr， a full professor at Baylor University， is a medieval historian， a Baptist， and a pastor’s wife。 Her extensive research of the medieval church and post-Reformation era lays the foundation for her conclusions。One thing has never changed， the Word has always shown us to be separated from the world， to not be conformed to the thinking of the world， to be in the world， but not of it。 This isn’t new thinking。 It’s the same thinking Paul had when he exhorted people who were off track。 In typical Paul fashion， he was addressing them in the same method of debating that they were used to hearing in Rome。 Remember， he’s the guy who said “I have become all things to all men， that I might by all means save some。 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake， that I may be partaker of it with you。” （1 Corinthians 9:22b-23） He was pointing out the way the Romans lived， and exhorting this body of believers to stand apart， to be separated， and not be conformed to the Roman way of thinking。 A message that continues today。 And in fact， during Medieval times， women historically held positions as leaders and pastors in the church。So， what happened between then and now？ Dr。 Barr provides strong evidence to support that biblical womanhood is not actually biblical at all。 “As a historian， I knew that women were kept out of leadership roles in my own congregation because Roman patriarchy had seeped back into the early church。 Instead of ditching pagan Rome and embracing Jesus， we had done the opposite – ditching the freedom of Christ and embracing the oppression of the ancient world。” It was purely about control to keep women in their “place。” Rather than the church being separate， the church became conformed to the Roman world， which subjugated women。 And as the evangelical movement grew， these ideas became doctrine， but they were never actually biblical。 “Jesus set women free a long time ago。” Because， Jesus gave women freedom。 And this is where we find ourselves now。 Highly recommend！！ Go， be free， friend！There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free， there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus。 Galatians 3:28 。。。more
Sabrina Peters
，
Extremely accessible work introducing the historical development of "biblical womanhood"。 My only complaint is that this is focused on white women; whiteness definitely factored into what "biblical womanhood" was supposed to look like。 The author is a historian whose specialties include medieval european history， so maybe that was outside the scope of this work Extremely accessible work introducing the historical development of "biblical womanhood"。 My only complaint is that this is focused on white women; whiteness definitely factored into what "biblical womanhood" was supposed to look like。 The author is a historian whose specialties include medieval european history， so maybe that was outside the scope of this work 。。。more
Daniel
，
What happens when a historian walks out of the patriarchy？ What happens when stories are told？ What happens when a narrative of oppression begins to unravel？ What happens when the other stories are told？ Something like this book。 In The Making of Biblical Womanhood， Beth Allison Barr attacks the historical narratives the Christian patriarchy tells to validates its existence。 That it is biblical。 That it is the way to be holy。 That it is essential to the Gospel。 While there are exegetical claims What happens when a historian walks out of the patriarchy？ What happens when stories are told？ What happens when a narrative of oppression begins to unravel？ What happens when the other stories are told？ Something like this book。 In The Making of Biblical Womanhood， Beth Allison Barr attacks the historical narratives the Christian patriarchy tells to validates its existence。 That it is biblical。 That it is the way to be holy。 That it is essential to the Gospel。 While there are exegetical claims made and challenged in this work， Barr gives the reader a gift。 She does not squander precious pages to myopic arguments that change nothing without a changed context for the reader。 She reveals a different story。 A story that has always existed。 A story of of the shapeshifting of the patriarchy to specific contexts and cultures。 A story of how that patriarchy has been baptized into the Gospel rather than be transformed by it。 Barr deals with Paul， with Bible translations， with medieval women， and post-reformation transformations of female piety。 Her argument isn't a rescuing or baptizing of any of the past as a model for "biblical womanhood。" Rather， historically， the concept of biblical womanhood is not a static point。 The current definitions by CBMW are modern constructions， contextualized through a historical process， and not part of the Gospel。 Faithful women have existed within the Church from the beginning。 There were female apostles and deacons。 Female evangelists。 But through the adoption of cultural values within Christianity， the church slowly shifted the roles allowed to women， or at least what was required of women to receive those roles。 Soon， women had to exceed their sex， become like a man， to preach， to have authority， to be taken seriously。 Yet these women existed。 They persisted。 Their expressions have varied through cultural allowances。 But the wholesale refusal to allow holy women to preach， have authority， or piety beyond motherhood and domestic duties is not biblical。 And it is far from a constant in history。 But what is historical， according to Barr， is the Christian adoption of the Aristotelian concept of woman as deformed man。 That adoption is at the root of the Christian patriarchy。 It is time， argues Barr， that this concept and the patriarchy built upon it be taken down。 It is time to let women free。 It is time to let them live into the Spirit-enabled capacities given to them by God。Barr's work is powerful and challenging。 Her expertise as a historian is juxtaposed by her experience within complementarian circles。 Her vulnerability of her story is set next to careful scholarship。 There is perhaps no better way of putting it than to say that this work is a vital part of the conversation surrounding the Christian patriarchy。 I recommend it without reservation。 Disclaimer: I received an electronic ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
David Dzimianski
，
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing Christians that oppression is godly。" - Beth Allison Barr。When I opened "The Making of Biblical Womanhood，" I was already tangentially familiar with Barr's work。 A historian at Baylor， Barr's immersion in the complementarian evangelical world was a foregone conclusion - until personal experience allowed her to begin seeing what history and theological study had already been saying: "Biblical Womanhood" is a recent historical construct manu "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing Christians that oppression is godly。" - Beth Allison Barr。When I opened "The Making of Biblical Womanhood，" I was already tangentially familiar with Barr's work。 A historian at Baylor， Barr's immersion in the complementarian evangelical world was a foregone conclusion - until personal experience allowed her to begin seeing what history and theological study had already been saying: "Biblical Womanhood" is a recent historical construct manufactured by （mostly） men who are attempting to protect the Christian brand of cultural patriarchy。While Barr's claim might seem strong， her powerful， scholarly arguments - in accessible language - fully back her assertion。 The theological system called complementarianism has a lot more historical similarities to pagan versions of patriarchy than it does with orthodox Christianity。 Instead of representing 2，000 years of orthodoxy， complementarianism represents a retrograde movement into the thinking of pagan patriarchy and Arianism in the form of Eternal Subordination of the Son。So-called "Biblical Womanhood" is not biblical， and Barr's book - if treated fairly and read honestly - should prove to be the beginning of the end for complementarianism and other iterations of Christian patriarchy。 。。。more
Sarah Holliday （Page & Cup）
，
Dr。 Barr has accomplished what so often eludes academics: she has written a highly accessible， intellectually rigorous piece of scholarship。 By interweaving her own memoir with the history of patriarchal oppression， she has crafted an empathetic guide to understanding both the past and its impact on us in the present。But most importantly？ She is teaching women to trust themselves。 You see， when you’re told that， because you are a woman， you are not allowed to lead or teach within the church， you Dr。 Barr has accomplished what so often eludes academics: she has written a highly accessible， intellectually rigorous piece of scholarship。 By interweaving her own memoir with the history of patriarchal oppression， she has crafted an empathetic guide to understanding both the past and its impact on us in the present。But most importantly？ She is teaching women to trust themselves。 You see， when you’re told that， because you are a woman， you are not allowed to lead or teach within the church， you are actually being told that you can not be trusted with the message of God。 So you cling tightly to the lessons emanating from the pulpit， from theological texts， from the Bible itself。But what if the Bible itself has been manipulated？ What if the men behind the pulpits are motivated by something other than the Holy Spirit？ What if authors and theologians are passing off heresy as orthodoxy？What if， as a woman， you can trust yourself？I sincerely hope you’ll purchase and read The Making of Biblical Womanhood。 Even if you aren’t a Christian。 Even if you left the church a long time ago。 Even if you think it has nothing new to offer you。 There is hope in the pages of this book， and I think that’s something all of us can use more of。 。。。more
Stephen Chase
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The best Biblical women's book ever！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！ The best Biblical women's book ever！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！ 。。。more
♥ Ibrahim ♥
，
It doesn’t require a “book” for a true Christian to know that you never mention words like submission in front of your wife， the person you dearly love and hope for her to give her best as much as you do in marriage。 Biblical womanhood？！ Do we need a manual for how to treat each other？ When I see my wife I bow down to Christ dwelling in her and seek every means to serve her。 She， likewise， exceeds me in demonstrating divine love。 It would be sheer stupidity for me to bring up such terms as submi It doesn’t require a “book” for a true Christian to know that you never mention words like submission in front of your wife， the person you dearly love and hope for her to give her best as much as you do in marriage。 Biblical womanhood？！ Do we need a manual for how to treat each other？ When I see my wife I bow down to Christ dwelling in her and seek every means to serve her。 She， likewise， exceeds me in demonstrating divine love。 It would be sheer stupidity for me to bring up such terms as submission to her hearing。 American Christianity can get so strange as people bring in their self-centered agendas。 I used to be a Muslim， and I’m determined never to repeat Islam again in my Christianity now by discussing submission or womanhood， etc。 Your wife is actually YOU， but in the female version， and divine love and grace have to flow from you to you， that is to her。 Never utter words like submission if you want to enjoy the favor of the Lord。 。。。more
Blake Widmer
，
An important book for believers and friends， there are unrecognized， hidden and even malevolent threads of “christian” subjugation that must be brought to the glorious light of Jesus Christ， so that we might be more and more transformed into the glorious image of the fullness of God， who has made mankind in His image， female and male He made them。 Admittedly I am still uncertain if I would feel confident in claiming an “egalitarian” position， and yet I am greatly persuaded by this historic narra An important book for believers and friends， there are unrecognized， hidden and even malevolent threads of “christian” subjugation that must be brought to the glorious light of Jesus Christ， so that we might be more and more transformed into the glorious image of the fullness of God， who has made mankind in His image， female and male He made them。 Admittedly I am still uncertain if I would feel confident in claiming an “egalitarian” position， and yet I am greatly persuaded by this historic narrative and the theological conclusions。 Regardless， one thing is clear， that unbiblical terms such as “complementarianism” are used as tools and methods of power， corruption and sin。 This must be brought to light and talked about with all the nuance and context necessary for rightly dividing the truth， for being the salt and light we are called to be， and for the fruit which comes from being in the Vine。 。。。more
Bethany
，
This is an excellent piece of theological and historical analysis about the idea of "biblical womanhood" and how it came to be。 I had already come to a number of similar conclusions about patriarchy and its role in conservative Christianity; but these opinions had been formed mostly from personal experience and intuition。 I greatly appreciate now having Barr's research to fortify my positions， especially given how accessible this book is to the layperson。 Highly recommended。*I received an electr This is an excellent piece of theological and historical analysis about the idea of "biblical womanhood" and how it came to be。 I had already come to a number of similar conclusions about patriarchy and its role in conservative Christianity; but these opinions had been formed mostly from personal experience and intuition。 I greatly appreciate now having Barr's research to fortify my positions， especially given how accessible this book is to the layperson。 Highly recommended。*I received an electronic ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
Camden Morgante
，
A compelling read with a message I thoroughly endorse。 After reading this， I am convinced that complementarianism is patriarchy and I can no longer make distinctions between the two。Barr's main premise is that evangelicals think that by holding onto traditional gender roles， they are not conforming to the secular world--that they are "in the world but not of it"。 Barr's background as a historian of the Medieval time period informs her argument that traditional gender roles are rooted in secular A compelling read with a message I thoroughly endorse。 After reading this， I am convinced that complementarianism is patriarchy and I can no longer make distinctions between the two。Barr's main premise is that evangelicals think that by holding onto traditional gender roles， they are not conforming to the secular world--that they are "in the world but not of it"。 Barr's background as a historian of the Medieval time period informs her argument that traditional gender roles are rooted in secular culture， not theology。 The Bible paints a different picture of female church leaders， teachers， and preachers in history than what we hear in contemporary evangelical theology。 The book takes a historical rather than theological perspective since its written by a historian。 At times， I got bored and skimmed through large sections of Medieval church history， wanting to get to the theological implications of that history。 The book is strongest when Barr focuses on how the roles of women have changed and evolved over time and how our theological interpretations and understandings of women's roles have evolved over time。 It was less interesting to me when it focused on people throughout history， yet I understand that this is Barr's expertise。Many books have been written about this issue from both sides of theology， and the uniqueness of this author's voice and perspective does lie in her background as a historian。 Her exposition of history supports her thesis that the subordination of women is not evangelical， but secular， and was appropriated by evangelicals， who claimed that it was "gospel truth" rather than just historial and cultural。 The insistence that patriarchy is biblical maintains the power differential between men and women in the Church。 The subjugation of women continues to give complementarians their power。 This book has a powerful message with the potential to shatter evangelical's tightly-held beliefs in "biblical womanhood"。 I hope it succeeds。 。。。more
Rob
，
A fantastic overview of how the church has affirmed and supported women who were gifted to lead and why patriarchy has become the norm within Christianity。 Barr offers both an important critique and an alternative to the dominant narrative。 Christianity can return to the way of Jesus， supporting， liberating， and valuing the gifts of all people。 This is a worthwhile read for historians， Christians， and pastors。
Julia Bever
，
This book is SO IMPORTANT。I grew up in an Evangelical Free church and the description Barr provides of how Evangelical women think of themselves is SPOT ON。 We’re taught that it’s our divinely appointed nature that calls us to be submissive homemakers。 But this book shows the various ways that the evangelical understanding of womanhood has been skewed - both intentionally and unintentionally - to reach a complementarian structure between genders rather than an egalitarian structure （which Barr a This book is SO IMPORTANT。I grew up in an Evangelical Free church and the description Barr provides of how Evangelical women think of themselves is SPOT ON。 We’re taught that it’s our divinely appointed nature that calls us to be submissive homemakers。 But this book shows the various ways that the evangelical understanding of womanhood has been skewed - both intentionally and unintentionally - to reach a complementarian structure between genders rather than an egalitarian structure （which Barr argues is a truer reading within historical context）。The three key areas that I found to be most impactful were: 1。 Barr’s analysis of commonly misunderstood and misused Pauline texts to show the inconsistencies in content and style which are easy to miss without historical context， 2。 The history of women teaching， being deacons， missionaries， etc before the reformation and the way that history has been erased， and 3。 The intentional effort to exclude gender inclusive language in the ESV translation of the bible - the accepted translation in all the churches I’ve attended - though gender inclusive language would be an equally valid translation。 Barr also points out how the evangelical belief of biblical inerrancy compounds these issues。Given how pervasive evangelical Christianity is in the US， and how harmful the ideas of complementarianism can be to Women AND Men， this is a very important book。 It is well presented and argued， and I think everyone who has ever been a Christian should check it out。I received a free E-ARC copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
DAVID
，
Read this because you know there are no second class citizens in the kingdom of God。 She will convince your heart and your head without the embittered rhetoric that can can cause walls to go up。 Very highly recommend。
Aaron Baker
，
This book caught me off guard。 Going into reading I would’ve stated that I have been developing a far more egalitarian view over the past few years but， while reading， I was forced to acknowledge different points of complementarianism which I hadn’t realized I still held。 I continued to read， and I wrestled with the history the author was presenting， and I felt uncomfortable with what was written on more than a few occasions。 Frankly， I’m still mulling over much of the information and struggling This book caught me off guard。 Going into reading I would’ve stated that I have been developing a far more egalitarian view over the past few years but， while reading， I was forced to acknowledge different points of complementarianism which I hadn’t realized I still held。 I continued to read， and I wrestled with the history the author was presenting， and I felt uncomfortable with what was written on more than a few occasions。 Frankly， I’m still mulling over much of the information and struggling with the views of headship that I’ve always been taught and how it squares with the Biblical teaching。 The book covers many of the same Bible verses which are often explored in the complementarian/egalitarian debate， but it presents the egalitarian argument in a much stronger way than I’ve normally seen it done。 You are also walked through Christian history and presented with a history which you’re not often made aware of: A history in which women have played a much larger role than you find in the history books， and you’re left questioning the motivations behind why it’s not presented。 Regardless of where you stand on this debate， this is a book which needs to be engaged with。 I think one of the best things about this book is that， even when you’re being presented with information which you may not be comfortable with， you don’t really feel attacked， even though the case is presented passionately。Often when engaging in this debate there is the temptation to react in fear and pride but I feel that The Making of Biblical Womanhood will engage with you in a way that allows you to not get defensive， if you go into it willing to hear and engage。 。。。more
Traci Rhoades
，
Huzzah！ I cannot tell you how many books I read on theology and church history， knowing I can't recommend them to the majority of my friends。 They could understand them but wouldn't take the time to do so。 On the other hand， I read books that lean angry or cynical。 The tone can feel disrespectful， which may get the point across but can leave my heart-that-aches-for-unity hurting。 We can't come together if we alienate one another。 Beth （of course your name is Beth）， thank you for guiding women in Huzzah！ I cannot tell you how many books I read on theology and church history， knowing I can't recommend them to the majority of my friends。 They could understand them but wouldn't take the time to do so。 On the other hand， I read books that lean angry or cynical。 The tone can feel disrespectful， which may get the point across but can leave my heart-that-aches-for-unity hurting。 We can't come together if we alienate one another。 Beth （of course your name is Beth）， thank you for guiding women in a way that we can all read and enjoy。 I learned so much from your story， from your professional insight， and from your lengthy list of references。 Perhaps the highest compliment I can give， I'd recommend this book to anyone。 。。。more
Lauren Simpson
，
Honestly， where do I start？ This book is so necessary for the evangelical church。 As much as Bible literacy is an issue in the church so is historical and contextual literacy of our faith， traditions， and beliefs。 This book will make you recon with your beliefs and when you read it， and you can either dig in your heels or examine yourself and the structures in place around you。Women leading is a mark of church history， not some version of feminism trying to invade the church。 It is clear through Honestly， where do I start？ This book is so necessary for the evangelical church。 As much as Bible literacy is an issue in the church so is historical and contextual literacy of our faith， traditions， and beliefs。 This book will make you recon with your beliefs and when you read it， and you can either dig in your heels or examine yourself and the structures in place around you。Women leading is a mark of church history， not some version of feminism trying to invade the church。 It is clear throughout scripture， yet where do we learn about it when we learn about church history？ We don't because women have been written out of the historical narrative and， to a degree， scripture as well。There are so many issues that Bible scholars and church leaders want us to believe are unique to our time because feminism， but the truth is there is nothing new under the sun。 Gender inclusive language along with women pastors and teachers have been around since medieval times and even before。 What the evangelical church has turned to since the Reformation is a focus on family （no pun intended） and gender roles laid out in complementarianism。 Biblical womanhood has become gospel truth not necessarily because it's true but because women's role in the home and church is now a marker of one's stance on inerrancy of the Bible and thus Christian orthodoxy。 All of this has done a disservice to women and men in our churches because it has been laid upon patriarchal structures to keep women out of power and out of leadership which deprives the church of their gifts。 I hope that those who disagree with Barr will still read her book because this issue is too pervasive to ignore。 Whether you are egalitarian or remain in complementarianism， there is truth and history to be learned form Dr。 Barr that can be applied in your context。 Whatever you choose， do not hold women back from serving the church well and in ways that mirror strong female leadership and service present in scripture。I'll leave you with the words she leaves her readers with， "Go be free。"#EndChristianPatriarchy 。。。more
SarahO
，
So much goes wrong when we forget our history。 Ignorance is the cause of so many problems。 I love how Barr’s book brings the past into the future to show us how certain things aren’t always as straight forward as we’ve been led to believe。 That patriarchy has always been around in different degrees and is a cultural construction， not a biblical one。 Today that patriarchy is hidden in the name complementarianism。 This book has introduced me to history of the church that I had never heard before， So much goes wrong when we forget our history。 Ignorance is the cause of so many problems。 I love how Barr’s book brings the past into the future to show us how certain things aren’t always as straight forward as we’ve been led to believe。 That patriarchy has always been around in different degrees and is a cultural construction， not a biblical one。 Today that patriarchy is hidden in the name complementarianism。 This book has introduced me to history of the church that I had never heard before， where women were actually praised for following God’s calling no matter where it took them。 I was surprised to learn that most church histories were written by pastors and not historians。 Not a great idea really because their education and focus’ are different。 I loved how Barr （an actual historian） was able to show us that， while we are so anxious about setting down rules for women in the church today， the earlier churches were concerned about more important issues like making sure we have a right view of the Trinity and bringing people to Christ。 I would highly recommend this book to everyone。 It makes you question why you believe the things that you do。 Is it because someone said “this is the way and no other” or is it really what the Bible says？ Barr points out that Christianity brought freedom to the women in the Roman world because it was a radical change from their culturally oppressive （patriarchal） lifestyle。 Are women in today’s church less free？ If so， we must question our interpretation of what it really means to be a “biblical woman”。 。。。more
Persis
，
There are quite a number of topics that Christians disagree about， but one that generates far more heat than light is the subject of "biblical womanhood。" Lines in the sand have been drawn， and people have taken sides。 There is more talking past one another than dialogue and reading for the sake of owning one's opponents rather than respectful engagement。 So I give a lot of credit to Baylor history professor， Beth Allison Barr， for entering into the fray with her book， "The Making of Biblical Wo There are quite a number of topics that Christians disagree about， but one that generates far more heat than light is the subject of "biblical womanhood。" Lines in the sand have been drawn， and people have taken sides。 There is more talking past one another than dialogue and reading for the sake of owning one's opponents rather than respectful engagement。 So I give a lot of credit to Baylor history professor， Beth Allison Barr， for entering into the fray with her book， "The Making of Biblical Womanhood。"As a specialist in medieval and woman's history， Barr approaches this topic as a historian primarily but also as a Christian and Baptist pastor's wife。 Thus the book traces the history of how the world and the church have treated women down through the ages。 This is to demonstrate:- Although the subordination of women is historical， it may not necessarily be biblical。 - Historically the church has not uniformly nor consistently forbade women in leadership。- We may be influenced by our culture more than we realize or want to admit， and we may have imported those ideals and preferences into our views of women and men。 We may have called "biblical" that which is secular in origin。The book begins with ancient near East history， looks at Paul's writings on household codes， the life of women in the church during the Medieval period， the Reformation's effect on women， how translation of the Bible has shaped our understanding regarding the place of women in the church， a brief history of women preachers and teachers in the early 20th century， the sanctification of modesty and domesticity， and the recent controversy over tweaking the Trinity to support a particular view of marriage。 Quite a bit of ground is covered for a relatively short book， but it's not just a history text。 The author weaves the story of her journey out of Christian patriarchy into the chapters。Although， this book has not convinced me to change my position on female ordination （a 2nd tier issue IMO）， I learned quite a bit。 My knowledge of Medieval history is next to nil so it was fascinating to learn about Margery Kempe and other godly women in that era。 It was also interesting to read the stories of female evangelists during the early 20th century in Baptist and black denominations。 It was also more than a little disconcerting to read that Enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau's view of women could have come verbatim from the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood。 Incidentally， Barr's take on the Apostle Paul's household codes is very similar to my pastor's view that these were radical compared to the Greco-Roman culture。 I do wish the book was a bit longer， though。 I would have loved greater exploration of how the Enlightenment influenced gender and the stereotyping of emotion as feminine and rationality as masculine。 It would have also been interesting to get a historical perspective that was non-European。 Maybe the author will favor us with a 2nd book。However， my main takeaways are the questions that this book has raised about historical and cultural biases and misperceptions that have been baptized as biblical。 If we are to be people of the truth， we should be challenged if we are making our cultural preferences transcendent for the global church。 We should be willing to learn from those who have gone before us and learn from fellow believers who we may disagree with in some areas。 And I think you will learn from "The Making of Biblical Womanhood。" 。。。more
Ellen Baranowski
，
This book is exactly what I have lived through。 The historical angle has highlighted the incorrect response to patriarchy from the evangelical churches。 It gives light to an otherwise dark area that women have fought against for SO long。 It was a joy to be on the launch team and to recommend this book to anyone who still struggles with the writings of Paul。 It’s not Paul ，it’s how he has been highlighted by men bent on leaving the women out of positions that they have been given to gifts to use。 This book is exactly what I have lived through。 The historical angle has highlighted the incorrect response to patriarchy from the evangelical churches。 It gives light to an otherwise dark area that women have fought against for SO long。 It was a joy to be on the launch team and to recommend this book to anyone who still struggles with the writings of Paul。 It’s not Paul ，it’s how he has been highlighted by men bent on leaving the women out of positions that they have been given to gifts to use。 I will be sending this book out to all my friends and daughters。 It is a gift of words to use as a conversation changer。 。。。more
Mhughessc
，
Beth Allison Barr， in "The Making of Biblical Womanhood"， details the history of Christianity and a woman's expected position in this belief system。 Having read a book with a similar title， I expected the same humor and personal stories as before。 However， this book is more of a serious thesis about how woman have risen above their station throughout history。 Barr even makes the assertion that what is known as "biblical womanhood" is not actually biblical at all。 It was easy to tell that this bo Beth Allison Barr， in "The Making of Biblical Womanhood"， details the history of Christianity and a woman's expected position in this belief system。 Having read a book with a similar title， I expected the same humor and personal stories as before。 However， this book is more of a serious thesis about how woman have risen above their station throughout history。 Barr even makes the assertion that what is known as "biblical womanhood" is not actually biblical at all。 It was easy to tell that this book had been well researched， but it was a little too serious for me。Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Bethany Smith
，
This is a book I've been searching for the majority of life！ Through the narratives of her own experiences and the experiences of others， as well as the context necessary to understand how we - as a church - have arrived where we are， Barr has provided a resource that the church has needed for a long time。 Barr takes her readers through a broad overview of church history and the roles of women in the church， demonstrating how complementarianism and its ripple effects developed to overpower the e This is a book I've been searching for the majority of life！ Through the narratives of her own experiences and the experiences of others， as well as the context necessary to understand how we - as a church - have arrived where we are， Barr has provided a resource that the church has needed for a long time。 Barr takes her readers through a broad overview of church history and the roles of women in the church， demonstrating how complementarianism and its ripple effects developed to overpower the evangelical church and much of Western Christianity。 Her honest and Spirit-inspired words have the power to set all women， and the churches we inhabit， free from the systemic oppression of Christian patriarchy。 This book is a must read for all。 。。。more
Sarah
，