Associate Professor of Religious Studies Jennifer Barry
Jennifer Barry, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, was recently interviewed and quoted on the online news and opinion site the Daily Beast. The article, titled, “Falwell’s ‘Blame the Woman’ Strategy Goes All the Way Back to Eden” was written by Candida Moss (the Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham, UK).
The article, written for a public audience, draws attention to the recent scandal of the former President of Liberty University, Jerry Falwell, regarding his recent sexual exploitations. Upon discovery of these allegations, he was subsequently removed from his very influential position. Moss was quick to note that Falwell’s deflection and shift to blame his wife was not an unusual tactic and quotes Barry to highlight the long Christian tradition of emphasizing the corrupting behavior of women that ultimately bring down powerful, and seemingly innocent, men.
Barry frequently teaches rhetorical strategies that target public and powerful women in Christian history. She was sought out by Dr. Moss for her expertise and interest in the study of gender, sexuality, and religion. And much of the material quoted stems from her most recent research project on gender-based violence in late ancient Christian texts.