The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth

USA Today BestsellerChristianity Today 2022 Book Award Finalist (History & Biography)A powerful work of skillful research and personal insight.--Publishers WeeklyBiblical womanhood--the belief that God designed women to be submissive wives virtuous mothers and joyful homemakers--pervades North American Christianity. From choices about careers to roles in local churches to relationship dynamics this belief shapes the everyday lives of evangelical women. Yet biblical womanhood isnt biblical says Baylor University historian Beth Allison Barr. It arose from a series of clearly definable historical moments.This book moves the conversation about biblical womanhood beyond Greek grammar and into the realm of church history--ancient medieval and modern--to show that this belief is not divinely ordained but a product of human civilization that continues to creep into the church. Barrs historical insights provide context for contemporary teachings about womens roles in the church and help move the conversation forward.Interweaving her story as a Baptist pastors wife Barr sheds light on the #ChurchToo movement and abuse scandals in Southern Baptist circles and the broader evangelical world helping readers understand why biblical womanhood is more about human power structures than the message of Christ.