“With her signature exhaustive research and passionate yet nuanced arguments, Barr has given us the book that the church has desperately needed. Becoming the Pastor’s Wife offers illuminating historical background and compelling biblical context for the role we’ve created for pastors’ wives within our churches, and it provides a Christ-centered road map of freedom and flourishing waiting on the other side.”—Sarah Bessey, editor of the New York Times bestseller A Rhythm of Prayer; author of Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith

“With historical acumen and personal anecdotes, Barr clearly, systematically, and powerfully demonstrates that women have always ministered in the church in a variety of roles and that congregations are at their healthiest when women are allowed to use their abilities. As I read this book, I found myself both challenged and encouraged—challenged on the historical origin of many of my theological assumptions and encouraged to help the women in my congregation lean into their God-given gifts. I imagine other pastors will feel the same.”—Steve Bezner, pastor, Houston Northwest Church; author of Your Jesus Is Too American

“Growing up in the church, I knew I would never marry a pastor. I didn’t have anything against pastors, but I knew I didn’t want to be a pastor’s wife. This is exactly why Becoming the Pastor’s Wife is such a helpful book. Beth Allison Barr demonstrates that the stereotype of the pastor’s wife within modern evangelicalism cannot be sustained by history or the Bible. The book powerfully challenges not only the way the literal role of pastor’s wife has been unnecessarily narrowed and reduced but, even more importantly, how the role of pastor’s wife has served as a distorted metaphor for how all women in the church should (or should not) function. Becoming the Pastor’s Wife paints a truer picture in brighter colors.”—Karen Swallow Prior, author of The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis

“What happens when unexamined and deliberately perpetuated cultural prejudices collide with historical fact (and good Christian decency)? Well, if you bring Beth Allison Barr into the mix, you get an amazing book that exposes the grave disenfranchisement of women to the gospel ministry and sets the record straight for all to see. Becoming the Pastor’s Wife is eye-opening, informative, comforting, and . . . pastoral. I am excited to see the impact this book will have on the lives of women who pursue the ordained ministry and their partners who support them.”—Peter Enns, author of Curveball; host of The Bible for Normal People podcast