A conversation with Dr. Beth Allison Barr — Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. I explore faith and American church culture from Memphis, TN. Never miss an episode or article by signing up for my free newsletter or becoming a member. “Biblical womanhood” is the belief that God designed women to be…

I took an artificial intelligence art platform for a spin. The evocative results are worth seeing. — Most of my writing concerns serious subjects about the Christian faith and American church culture. I’m aware that this website can feel heavy sometimes. Every now and then I try to post something that is a little more light-hearted, contemplative, or nerdy. For example, last summer I wrote a piece…

I’ve started my own website, because it was time — Hello readers, I hope you are doing well! I’m writing to you with some bittersweet news. A few months ago, I began to sense that Medium was no longer the best place for me. I still love the platform. I’ve met awesome writers and readers. And I’ve become a better…

When real people are hurt in real ways, and no one cares — Several years ago, I was speaking to a political science course about US foreign policy, independent humanitarian work, and the messiness of both. Talking with students is one of my favorite parts of my job. This particular group of college students walked into class full of questions and ideas. Near…

Thoughts for those who are considering trying church, again — I grew up in a time when most people were part of a church. Many of our neighbors and most of my peers at the public high school I attended had churches to call home. Some of my earliest and fondest memories are rooted at my childhood church. Such was…

History is complicated. Maybe that’s okay. — It’s always been this way is a statement I have heard too many times to count. The certainty behind those words in white American evangelical spaces has proven to be problematic. When we look to church history, we learn that things have not always been this way. Other times, we…

We live in challenging times, but we all face the same choice — Hello readers, In light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I wanted to take a moment and write this short piece that I hope you will find some encouragement in. We live in a challenging and frightening time. It’s easy to believe that the world is coming apart at the…

And why the strongest believers are walking out of churches — Just ten years ago, most of us would see a story or statistic every now and then that stopped us in our tracks. It now feels like we are confronted by such disruptions almost weekly amidst the social upheaval, change, and unveiling of truth around us. Another shocking story slammed…

Some were paradigm-shifting, others were uplifting — I set out to read six books this year. Between running a nonprofit, family, and settling into a new church home, I wanted to avoid being overly ambitious. I ended up reading thirteen books. Many are theological or critically examine American Christian culture and history. One of my favorite things…