BOOK REVIEW: THE MAKING OF BIBLICAL WOMANHOOD: HOW THE SUBJUGATION OF WOMEN BECAME GOSPEL TRUTH
For forty years, Beth Allison Barr (Ph.D.), associate professor of history and associate dean of the Graduate School at Baylor University, agreed with the complementarian theology of women called “biblical womanhood.” Complementarians believe God divinely ordained men as leaders; therefore, men lead, and women follow (or help) men. The majority prescribe a husband’s “headship” over his wife and restrict women from serving in the church as an elder or lead pastor. But, they draw different lines in the sand on what context and to whom women may teach or lead. Holding a wide range of views, they differ as to whether a woman may baptize, serve communion, hold the position of deacon or pastor, or be ordained. Read a concise description of evangelical views here.
Conversation Refused
Beth Allison Barr and her husband, Jeb, both serving in the youth department at their evangelical church, requested to meet with their Southern Baptist church leaders. They hoped to present their case for allowing a woman to teach the Bible in youth Sunday school. Their church policy restricted women from teaching boys older than thirteen years of age. But, the conversation never took place because the leadership refused to meet with them. And shortly after that, in September 2016, they fired Barr’s husband, the church youth pastor of fourteen years.
“Biblical Womanhood Isn’t Biblical.”
Three months later, Barr writes, she realized she had had doubts about complementarianism. And what she believes is “biblical womanhood isn’t biblical.” Why? She explains that “complementarian theology uses a few verses to interpret the rest of the Bible without considering their historical and cultural context.” From a historian’s point of view, Barr likens “biblical womanhood” to pagan hierarchical systems, like those found in ancient Greek and Roman cultures, that employed power to dominate and oppress females.
Complicit for Staying Silent
Upon her full realization, Barr describes feeling shamefully complicit for staying silent. So, she wrote her book, The Making of Biblical Womanhood, to stand against teaching that oppresses women and is inconsistent with Jesus’s teaching and affirmation of women. Another evangelical woman, Beth Moore, Bible teacher, author, and founder of Living Proof Ministries, made a similar confession in April 2016 on Twitter. Moore tweeted, “I beg your forgiveness where I was complicit. I could not see it [complementarianism] for what it was until 2016… I just submitted to it and supported it and taught it. I trusted that the motives were godly…”[1]
“What If We Have Been Reading Paul Wrong?”
Barr writes from her perspective as a pastor’s wife, which, combined with her expertise as a medieval and church historian and teacher, makes the book a compelling read. Approximately two hundred and twenty pages long, this book has eight chapters. It begins with an explanation of how patriarchy began. The author then moves to a discussion of Paul’s biblical writings. Barr describes the learning process she employs by asking herself questions like: “What if I’m wrong?” and “Am I willing to reconsider the evidence?” In asking, “What if we have been reading Paul wrong?” she walks the reader through the process of questioning whether Paul truly intended to silence women. The following two chapters delineate historical information about Christian women in the Medieval world and the impact of the Reformation on evangelical women in the home and the church.
Christian Patriarchy and Pagan Patriarchy
In a recent interview, the author mentioned that two of her book chapters are central to her argument that “biblical womanhood” equates to Christian patriarchy. Those two chapters are the one on Paul and the one on the Reformation’s cost for Christian women. Barr presents an in-depth look at specific historical events, explaining how the resulting ideologies led to Christian patriarchy and the prescription of “roles” for women in the church and the home. She concludes one cannot separate Christian patriarchy from pagan patriarchy—women have less power, less voice, and less rank than men in both systems.
English Bible Translations that Obscure Women
Barr’s chapter on the influence of specific English Bible translations presents significant points to ponder. She reminds her readers that all translation is interpretation. And, she explains that translators of some English translations, including the King James Version, chose words that obscure and exclude women’s leadership in the early church. Barr said in a recent podcast interview, “Women have always been preachers, teachers, & leaders, whether or not the ecclesiastical structures recognize them as such…read the Bible & see how God has always used women. And biblical women do not fit in the mold of biblical womanhood.”[2] Regarding gender-inclusive language, Barr concludes it has been distinctive in the church long before feminism. She argues gender-inclusive language necessarily restores Scripture to its original meaning. Again, she reminds her readers to remember history.
Conclusion
My classmate leaned toward me, with cheeks flushed and hands clenched, to tersely reply, “No, I will not have a conversation with you about women and church leadership. Two thousand years of church history proves men are the leaders, not women.” This brief exchange with my fellow seminary classmate took place in 2016. That same year, Beth Allison Barr and her husband also received a “No, we will not have this conversation” response.
Barr’s book, The Making of Biblical Womanhood, is generating conversations about women and the church. A conversation recently ignited by the #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements. And, one continued by Rachel Held Evans’ 2012 book, A Year of Biblical Womanhood, along with two 2020 books, Aimee Byrd’s Recovering From Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, and Kristen Kobes Du Mez’s Jesus and John Wayne. Just days before its’ release date, The Making of Biblical Womanhood is already trending number one on Amazon in three categories: Christian Evangelism, Christian Church History, and Gender & Sexuality in Religious Studies. Read Barr’s book and join the conversation.
To read my blog post about Jesus’s interactions with women, click here. The latest post in my historic women of faith series can be read here. Are you interested in studying more about women and the church, but are unsure which resources to trust? Download my complimentary resource guide, and join the waitlist for the Theology of Women Academy course coming in fall 2021.
[1] Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM), Twitter, 8:30 a.m., April 7, 2021. https://twitter.com/BethMooreLPM/status/1379788676297846792?s=20
[2] Beth Allison Barr, Kingdom Roots with Scot McKnight Podcast, April 16, 2021. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kingdom-roots-with-scot-mcknight/id1078739516?i=1000517296125