By Beth Allison Barr and Ann Boyd

Beth Allison Barr: The Making of Biblical Womanhood

"The problem isn’t with God. The problem is with flawed people — and this is why we need Jesus." — Beth Allison Barr

Beth Allison Barr talks with us about speaking up, leaning into questions, and thriving as a woman in academia.

Let me invite you into a conversation with Dr. Beth Allison Barr, history professor and author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. This book has deeply impacted the conversation around gender roles in the church since its publication in April 2021. I was thrilled to interview Beth so I could ask her just a few of the many questions that came up for me as I read her powerful book.  In our conversation, Beth explores the terrain between her personal experience and her historical research, and talks about her journey toward sharing her findings with the wider world — and the fallout that came along with that choice. Beth talks candidly about her experience as a tenured professor, and offers generous advice and encouragement for other women who hope to find their way in academia. Beth is a warm and gracious conversation partner, full of wisdom and knowledge and laughter too, and I think you’ll enjoy this interview.​

So have a listen! We're so glad you're here.

— Ann Boyd

You can listen on iTunes or at The Women Scholars and Professionals Podcast Page. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.
 

Further resources for this interview:

 

Photo by Dmitri Popov on StockSnap

About the Author

Beth Allison Barr (PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is the James Vardaman Professor of History at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she specializes in medieval history, women's history, and church history. She recently served as president of the Conference on Faith and History (2018-2021) and is an active supporter of Christians for Biblical Equality. Barr is a regular contributor to The Anxious Bench, the popular Patheos website on religious history, and has written for Christianity Today, the Washington Post, Religion News Service, The Dallas Morning News, Sojourners, and Baptist News Global. Her work has been featured by NPR and The New Yorker. She is also a Baptist pastor's wife and the mom of two great kids.

Ann is the Women Scholars and Professionals Podcast host and the managing editor for The Well. She has worked for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship since 1997, exploring her interests in community, spiritual formation, and writing. Ann has a BM in Music Education from Northwestern University and lives in Chicago, Illinois with one husband, two spunky teenage daughters, and three snuggly cats. You’ll often find Ann baking sweet treats in the kitchen while listening to a podcast or audiobook.

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