Dr. Barr is a historian at Baylor University whose study of church history led her to see that many of the contemporary teachings about women’s roles in the church arose from a set of clearly definable historical and cultural moments. Her argument is that so called “biblical womanhood” is more about power structures than the message of Christ. Obviously, this topic is deeply personal to me as I’ve tried to be faithful to the calling God has placed on my life. Works such as Scot McKnight’s The Blue Parakeet and Jo Saxton’s More Than Enchanting helped me form a biblical and theological framework for that calling. Dr. Barr’s historical work helped me see the long list of women who have gone before faithfully teaching, preaching, and leading. She also helped me more deeply understand why at times the way has been hard.