In the 1980s, Frank Peretti’s best-selling novels about the spiritual war between angels and demons captivated evangelicals, but they also fostered a belief that anything out of step with conservative white Christianity was downright satanic. The podcast crew discuss their own experiences with Peretti’s books and how they’ve shaped today’s culture war—including a congresswoman’s recent statement that Catholics helping immigrants is proof the church is run by Satan.
Then, Beth Allison Barr is back one year after the release of her provocative book “The Making of Biblical Womanhood,” to discuss what she’s learned from her critics as well as from her fans. And she offers pastoral advice for those struggling in patriarchal Christian communities. Plus, a family finds a tasty time capsule in their bathroom wall, and the underappreciated charms of Dubuque, Iowa.
Patreon Bonus: https://www.patreon.com/posts/65967806/
News Segment
0:00 - Intro 2:24 - Dubuque travelogues 8:10 - Tasty time capsule https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/illinois-family-finds-bag-preserved-mcdonalds-food-half-century-ago-ho-rcna26252
16:49 - Fantasy novels and satanic conspiracies https://religionnews.com/2022/04/28/marjorie-taylor-greene-feuds-with-conservatives-catholics-over-satan-remarks-border-bishops-satan/https://www.vox.com/culture/23033782/frank-peretti-this-present-darkness-piercing-the-darkness-cultural-influence-moral-panic
46:56 - Patreon bonus plug https://www.patreon.com/posts/65967806/
Interview with Beth Allison Barr
“The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth” book - https://amzn.to/3KNm8s0
Postscript to book - http://cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com/processed/book-resources/files/The_Making_of_Biblical_Womanhood_-_Postscript_Chapter.pdf?1650389860
47:53 - Intro 48:31 - Journey with book 55:39 - History and theology 58:58 - Untangling cultural elements in scripture 1:03:29 - Hindsight and reflection on critiques 1:12:46 - Role of social media 1:15:59 - Three FAQs https://www.patheos.com/blogs/anxiousbench/2022/03/ideas-about-women-matter-a-resource-list-for-women-in-church-history/ 1:22:17 - Hope?
1:25:09 - Credits
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I have been listening to your podcast for years and found this topic discussion the most left leaning view, while somehow not taking into account how deep Hebrews 6:12 can go in culture without it being obviously observable???
J. Warner Wallace's video called "Is the Bible Actually True?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gldOsb5a1Pk
I read all 3 of the Frank Peretti's books. The 3rd one was a little different flavor than the first two, but somewhat similar I recall. I think I was college-age / young adult at the time.
They were riveting to me. I still have them buried on my bookshelf.
I did not see them as actual depictions of how things actually are. I recognized that they were just one person's view of how spiritual warfare might actually happen.
The "lessons" I took from the books were:
- there are forces of good and evil fighting over us and various parts of our world
- people can become demon-influenced and guided by essentially inviting those forces into their life
-…
Here are some of Beth Allison Barr's words towards the end: "Every translator is a traitor" "...scripture has been changed in a way that pushes woman out of leadership"
I also have some concerns about other words she has said such as, ""I would argue that racism and patriarchy almost always go together. When you teach that the way a person is created that makes them able to have leadership over another person. You're not just talking about gender. You're talking about ethnicity, which we have classified as race. And so it's no surprise that these things go together because they are rooted in the same cause - this idea that God created some people to be smarter to be ab…
Let’s not forget Frank Perreti’s children’s books! I really want to look back at them now through a new lense to see how much of an impact they really had.