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The Divorce of a Pastor’s Wife in 1860 Texas

ByBeth Allison Barr

From the Anxious Bench Archives I went to a perfect wedding last weekend. It was deep in the rural heart of Central Texas. Wide open fields dotted with cattle and the occasional John Deer tractor were broken by scattered farm houses. The roads were narrow and dusty; population signs for the small towns counted inhabitants…

Pride and Preaching: A Medieval Perspective on John MacArthur
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Pride and Preaching: A Medieval Perspective on John MacArthur

ByBeth Allison Barr

I almost didn’t write this post. After all, what more could I say? Sarah Bessey already voiced my outrage. The scoffing laughter of John MacArthur’s audience echoed in my head as I read her words. “It’s a sin to quench the work of the Holy Spirit in and through the lives of women. Repent, the…

How Evangelicals Forgot Women’s History
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How Evangelicals Forgot Women’s History

ByBeth Allison Barr

A country church burned to the ground last week. Flames billowed over its wooden spires in a scene reminiscent of Notre Dame. But while stone defended the Parisian cathedral, the timber walls of the Church of the Visitation in Westphalia, Texas, didn’t stand a chance. Winds blustered that morning, fanning the fire and ensuring total…

Welcome To Our New Blogger, Dr. Andrea Turpin!
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Welcome To Our New Blogger, Dr. Andrea Turpin!

ByBeth Allison Barr

I am so pleased to introduce you to my Baylor colleague, Dr. Andrea Turpin. Andrea has been my women’s history counterpart at Baylor since 2011. She teaches the American Women’s history courses while I have been teaching the European Women’s history courses. Andrea is also one of the most thoughtful and brilliant Christian scholars I…

A Response to “#Woke Evangelical Timeline”
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A Response to “#Woke Evangelical Timeline”

ByBeth Allison Barr

Today we are so pleased to welcome Otis Pickett, an Assistant Professor of History at Mississippi College, to the Anxious Bench. Otis is also co-founder of the Prison to College Pipeline program. I recently came across a piece on Patheos by D.G. Hart entitled “#Woke Evangelical Timeline.” While I have tremendous respect for Hart as…

A New Hope For Evangelical Women
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A New Hope For Evangelical Women

ByBeth Allison Barr

I opened the door to my car when my phone buzzed. I glanced quickly at the twitter thread on my screen before setting it down on the passenger seat. I put the keys in the ignition and shifted to reverse. But then my brain clicked. I turned the car off and picked my phone back…