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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…

Because We Have Made God Too Small: A Baylor Professor’s Apology to Kaitlin Curtice
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Because We Have Made God Too Small: A Baylor Professor’s Apology to Kaitlin Curtice

ByBeth Allison Barr

The chair scraped next to me. It was 2:30 on Friday afternoon—time for our scheduled break. For three years I have been writing every Friday afternoon with a group of faculty women, blocking our calendars and ignoring emails. For three years I break with them for 15 minutes, pulling our chairs into a small circle….

The Divorce of a Pastor’s Wife in 1860 Texas
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The Divorce of a Pastor’s Wife in 1860 Texas

ByBeth Allison Barr

This is from my Anxious Bench archives. I am working hard on book chapters, but never fear I will be back soon. I wanted to post this again for two reasons. First – it is one of my favorite local history posts (that probably many of my readers haven’t seen, since it is from 2016),…

Because Global Christian History Disrupts Christian Patriarchy Too–Evidence from Medieval Ethiopia
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Because Global Christian History Disrupts Christian Patriarchy Too–Evidence from Medieval Ethiopia

ByBeth Allison Barr

Today I am pleased to welcome Anna Wells to the Anxious Bench. Anna is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Religion department at Baylor University working with Dr. Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi. Her research focuses on the way culture influences the development of Christianity and looks specifically at female hagiographies from medieval Europe and Ethiopia through a…

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…