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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….

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…

What Southern Baptists Can Learn From Canadian Baptists……
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What Southern Baptists Can Learn From Canadian Baptists……

ByBeth Allison Barr

Just last week I found myself at the corner of Burrard Street and Nelson Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. I was making my wayfrom the airport to my hotel, via the Vancouver metro system. I know most folk just grab a cab, especially when luggage is in tow. But using public transportation orients me to…

Because Jesus Choosing Male Disciples Doesn’t Mean What We Think….
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Because Jesus Choosing Male Disciples Doesn’t Mean What We Think….

ByBeth Allison Barr

In fifteenth-century England, a (probably Franciscan) friar lived on the east coast near the cathedral city of Ely. Like many other medieval sermon authors, he included in his Lenten series a narrative from Matthew 15: the story of the Woman of Canaan. I have talked about this story before, and I am sure many of…

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…