USA Today Bestseller Christianity Today 2022 Book Award Finalist (History & Biography) Foreword INDIES 2021 Finalist for Religion "A powerful work of skillful research and personal insight."--Publishers Weekly Biblical womanhood--the belief that God designed women to be submissive wives, virtuous mothers, and joyful homemakers--pervades North American Christianity. From choices about careers to roles in local churches to relationship dynamics, this belief shapes the everyday lives of evangelical women. Yet biblical womanhood isn't biblical, says Baylor University historian Beth Allison Barr. It arose from a series of clearly definable historical moments. This book moves the conversation about biblical womanhood beyond Greek grammar and into the realm of church history--ancient, medieval, and modern--to show that this belief is not divinely ordained but a product of human civilization that continues to creep into the church. Barr's historical insights provide context for contemporary teachings about women's roles in the church and help move the conversation forward. Interweaving her story as a Baptist pastor's wife, Barr sheds light on the #ChurchToo movement and abuse scandals in Southern Baptist circles and the broader evangelical world, helping readers understand why biblical womanhood is more about human power structures than the message of Christ.

Beth Allison Barr, a Baylor University historian, resituates the conversation surrounding the topic of biblical womanhood within the realm of ecclesial history, proposing it is less scripturally ordained and more the product of clearly definable contextual moments. Feminine disposition, permitted church roles, career options, and relationship dynamics are systematically examined, interwoven with Barr’s experiences as a Baptist pastor's wife.