The Making of Biblical Womanhood

“Complementarianism is patriarchy, and patriarchy is about power. Neither have ever been about Jesus.”

This is not so much a review as a list of things I want to remember prior to discussion with Jeananne.

• Phoebe the Deaconess, being demoted in different versions of the Bible
• Bible translations moving back and forth between gender-inclusive language and gender-exclusive language depending on the time period.
• And also people specifically creating translations to remove women's agency
• Rise of inerrancy, if you don't literally believe the beginning of the story (Creation, Flood), then you can't believe that the Jesus stuff is accurate either. And this is how Paul's words are used too.
• Evangelical heresy (Arianism) that Jesus was subordinate to God, and that's why women are subordinate to men. Triune God = Father Son and Holy Spirit all the same and all equal.
• The shifting of patriarchy as society evolves, to continue to keep specific groups of people out
• Medieval women preaching! Things have ebbed and flowed both pre- and post-Reformation. Women in the 1930s preaching!
• We all have different giftings, doesn't make sense that only half the people should be able to serve with theirs, or that only one group “gets” to be gifted with things like speaking, teaching.

This book made so much sense to me, and gave me so much. Dr. Barr is a medieval historian at a Baptist university about an hour north of me, and her framing was perfect and reasonable. I got this from the library but I think I need to get my own copy. Also I need to buy a different Bible translation for my Kindle, because it turns out the ESV was specifically translated in such a way as to cut women's roles as prophetesses, deaconesses and apostles out of the Bible.