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

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

Beth Allison Barr

4.39 AVERAGE

jcool304's review against another edition

5.0

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

kadams607's review against another edition

4.0

informative reflective medium-paced

dutchkel's review against another edition

5.0

Essential reading. Go read it now. "Complementarianism is patriarchy, and patriarchy is about power. Neither have ever been about Jesus". Love it.

katherinetekla's review against another edition

4.0

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

beebeewin's review against another edition

4.5

hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced

What an unexpectedly interesting and thought provoking read. As a non-Christian, I truly was floored by how much I really enjoyed this book. Beth Allison Barr was a great writer making a thorough historic and religious novel, that was still engaging and applicable to all.

I appreciate deeply Barr's historical acumen and ability to translate it into an engaging and powerful novel. She weaved together so many historical sources to paint a condemning picture of the way that the Bible and it's scripture has been twisted by millennia of patriarchy. She points out how in 1360s just like in modern day women are still paid 3/4 of the amount men are and how abuse has been occurring this whole time, with the ways that the Bible is taught encouraging. I never had heard about the female saints or apostles, or the fact that "Christians translated Scripture in gender-inclusive ways long before the feminist movement." Barr truly brings all the references and shows you step by step how Christians ended up here. The erasure, the manipulative tactics, and ignorance paint a damning picture, as Barr states, "No, the problem in the church is not strong women, but rather weak men who feel threatened by strong women and have tried various means... to prohibit them from exercising their gifts and graces in church."

As a non-Christian, this book was still so palpable and moving because you can tell Barr has a deep faith and just wants the Christian churches of the world to honor that and the belief and energy of every other Christian women. She points out the irony in the fact that throughout history Christianity claims to be different, but somehow still reflects the patriarchy of both present and past. This whole novel is her impassioned plea for change. Pleading for Christians especially to know their history, "how dangerous many evangelicals' lack of of understanding about the past affects women in the present."

I would recommend this book to all people in the US, and especially Christian peeps as I think Barr wants you all to see this. I will be thinking about this for awhile and might just pull this last quote out next time I encounter some Christian fueled bigotry, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing Christians that oppression is godly. That God ordained some people, simply because of their sex or skin color (or both), as belonging under the power of other people."