If you aren’t new around here, you know that occasionally be discuss things that we don’t recommend. In this episode we provide commentary on a book that we heartily do not recommend, and that is Beth Allison Barr’s The Making of Biblical Womanhood.
Barr’s central argument is that complementarianism is patriarchy, and patriarchy is very, very bad for women. Further, Jesus is against patriarchy and we have totally been misreading Paul. If you’ve been around this discussion for any length of time, you know that Paul’s writings must be taken out at the knees and interpreted through an ahistorical lens if we are to shrug off patriarchy entirely.
So, let’s think together. Do her arguments make sense? Why is this book so unhelpful for women that want to know what the Bible has to say about gender roles? Let’s chat!