American Religion Archives - Beth Allison Barr

American Religion Baptist History Christian Patriarchy Complimentarianism Contemporary Connections Evangelicalism Local History Texas History Women's History

The Divorce of a Pastor’s Wife in 1860 Texas

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…

Beth Allison BarrMarch 10, 2020

American Religion Articles & Essays Baptist History Christian Patriarchy Contemporary Connections Evangelicalism Medieval History Women's History

Pride and Preaching: A Medieval Perspective on John MacArthur

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…

Beth Allison BarrOctober 30, 2019

American Religion Articles & Essays Christian Patriarchy Evangelicalism Local History Texas History Women's History

How Evangelicals Forgot Women’s History

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.…

Beth Allison BarrAugust 7, 2019

American Religion Articles & Essays Featured Women's History

Welcome To Our New Blogger, Dr. Andrea Turpin!

Andrea Turpin – Baylor University 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…

Beth Allison BarrJune 11, 2019

American Religion Articles & Essays Contemporary Connections Evangelicalism Featured

A Response to “#Woke Evangelical Timeline”

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…

Beth Allison BarrMay 25, 2019

American Religion Articles & Essays Christian Patriarchy Contemporary Connections Evangelicalism

A New Hope For Evangelical Women

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.…

Beth Allison BarrMay 11, 2019

American Religion Articles & Essays Baptist History Christian Patriarchy Contemporary Connections Evangelicalism Medieval History Women's History

Who Defines Preaching Anyway? Beth Moore and Catherine of Siena

I usually never read comments on my blogs, much less respond to them. But one recently caught my eye. It was posted on a twitter thread following a tweet by Katelyn Beaty about my last AB article posted by Scot McKnight on Jesus Creed (sorry,…

Beth Allison BarrMarch 20, 2019

American Religion Baptist History Christian Patriarchy Women's History

“Let Me Be A Woman” Revised? Elisabeth Elliot and Beth Moore

In 1976, Elisabeth Elliot published her landmark book Let Me Be A Woman: Notes to My Daughter on the Meaning of Womanhood. If you remember, Elisabeth Elliot’s first husband Jim was one of five missionaries speared to death in Ecuador in 1956. Let Me Be…

Beth Allison BarrMarch 6, 2019

American Religion Articles & Essays Contemporary Connections Evangelicalism Featured

Christians Must Face The Reality Of Rape Culture

I am so pleased to welcome guest blogger Leslie Hahner, PhD, to The Anxious Bench today. Leslie is a brilliant thinker, writer, and professor. I know this because we have been in an interdisciplinary writing group together since 2011. She has two recently published books,…

Beth Allison BarrJanuary 23, 2019

American Religion Articles & Essays Christian Patriarchy Contemporary Connections Evangelicalism

What Will Evangelicals Say to Jesus?

“White Jesus has blood on him.” Angela Tarango, Associate Professor of Religion at Trinity University, said this during the Conference on Faith and History’s 2019 panel for the American Historical Association meeting in Chicago last weekend. The panel (which I was so excited to have…

Beth Allison BarrJanuary 9, 2019

American Religion