Book Review - The Making of Biblical Womanhood: - How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr

Author: Moreen Sharp

Moreen lives in Abbotsford, BC and has lived out her desire to see women flourish, understanding God’s love for them in ever deeper ways while living out all that God has called them to be. She has served as president of Women in Focus, president of Canadian Baptist Women, president of Baptist Women of North America and Executive Director of Baptist World Alliance Women. She and her husband Paul have served God together in ministry for 43 years. She is mother of two beautiful daughters and grandmother of 3.

The Making of Biblical Womanhood was recommended to me by a friend to whom I am most grateful as it has given me a much deeper understanding of what is and has been transpiring in the world of patriarchy. Dr. Beth Allison Barr is associate professor of history and associate dean of the Graduate School at Baylor University. Her specialties include European women, medieval and early modern England and church history. Her understanding of our past history brings a lot of breadth to understanding the issues presented by patriarchy.

One of the ideas she brought out which I found very informative was the contrast between women’s spirituality before the Reformation and after the Reformation. Before the Reformation, women were considered spiritual by, in essence, “overcoming” their gender and staying single. This showed their commitment to God and thus gave them a platform for spiritual ministry, including preaching. (Married women were not allowed to preach.) Barr gives many examples in the book of medieval women who were powerful preachers and leaders, bringing thousands to Christ.

The Reformation, on the other hand, while it should have brought women more freedom, because they were teaching the priesthood of all believers, picked up on the movement that was taking place in secular culture at that point. This culture capitalized on the Apostle Paul’s household codes, making the point that the woman’s place was in the home, being obedient to her husband, and looking after her husband and children. This became the mark of spirituality after that point and has continued right up until today.

In Medieval times, the priest was the patriarchal head. Both the husband and wife were under the priest and thus more spiritually equal to each other. After the Reformation, the priest was replaced in a woman’s life by the husband. She was now under his authority, not God’s

I must mention Barr’s explanation of the gender-inclusive debate otherwise known as “unisex language” which has hit the fan in the last while. Zondervan got in big trouble for developing a translation that used gender-inclusive language (TNIV). The opponents claimed it had a feminist bias, so in reaction, developed the ESV with their patriarchal bias which brought us back to the focus which began largely, when the King James Version was translated.

In her chapter entitled “Writing Women out of the English Bible,” Barr explains that there are three terms used: Homo=man or woman, Vir=man and Femina=woman. When the KJV was written it used “vir” many times when it should have been “homo” particularly when referring to leadership positions. The reality is that Zondervan was concerned about making the Bible more accurate, not less accurate.

A good example of how this impacts our reading of the Scriptures is found on pages 147-148. In I Timothy 3:1-13, the Greek text uses the generic whoever and anyone and only uses the masculine term once (“one woman man”) but modern translations have ‘introduced 8-10 male pronouns’ into that passage. None are in the Greek text.

Another key point is brought up when she addresses the topic of inerrancy in chapter seven. Fundamentalists (a movement which was formulated only in the early 1900s in America) formed the belief that “either we believe the Bible literally in its entirety or we don’t.” (p.188-189) From this viewpoint, they saw “subordination of women as inherent in the created order.” The problem magnified, then, because if you didn’t see it that way, you were accused of heresy because you weren’t seeing the Bible as inerrant. This is a great way to end any argument!

So, do we throw up our hands and say it’s useless to continue to work towards Biblical equality? Is it hopeless? Beth Barr ends with these thoughts: History shows us that God has never stopped calling women to do his work and women haven’t waited for the approval of men to do the work of God. Despite all the obstacles, women have been preaching, leading and teaching over the centuries and continue to do so, even in evangelical circles. Barr tells us that it’s time for all of us to remember our history.  She challenges us on page 218 with this: “Jesus set women free a long time ago. Isn’t it finally time for evangelical Christians to do the same? Go, be free!”