Christian headcovering

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Christian headcovering is the veiling of the head by women in a variety of Christian traditions. Some cover only in public worship,[1] while others believe they should cover their heads all the time.[2] The Biblical basis for headcoverings is found in 1 Corinthians 11:2–16.[3] Though head covering was practiced by most Christian women up until the 20th century,[4] it is now a minority practice among contemporary Christians in the West.

History

Throughout the centuries of Church history, women have worn head coverings during the meetings of the church — that is, when "praying or prophesying" take place (1 Corinthians 11:5). The style of the covering varied at different points in history.[5]

Early Church

Fresco of veiled Christian woman, 3rd Century AD

Christian head covering was unanimously practiced by the women of the Early Church. This was attested by multiple writers throughout the first several centuries of Christianity. The early Christian writer Tertullian (150 - 220 A.D.) explains that in his day, the Corinthian church was still practicing head covering. This is only 150 years after the Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians. He said, “So, too, did the Corinthians themselves understand [Paul]. In fact, at this day the Corinthians do veil their virgins. What the apostles taught, their disciples approve.”[6] Clement of Alexandria (150 – 215 A.D.), an early theologian, wrote, “Woman and man are to go to church decently attired...for this is the wish of the Word, since it is becoming for her to pray veiled.”[7] Another theologian, Hippolytus of Rome (170 - 236 A.D.) while giving instructions for church gatherings said "...let all the women have their heads covered with an opaque cloth..."[8]

Later, in the 4th Century AD, the church leader John Chrysostom (347 - 407 A.D.) stated, “…the business of whether to cover one’s head was legislated by nature (see 1 Cor 11:14-15). When I say “nature,” I mean “God.” For he is the one who created nature. Take note, therefore, what great harm comes from overturning these boundaries! And don’t tell me that this is a small sin.”[9] Jerome (347 - 420 A.D.) noted that Christian women in Egypt and Syria do not “go about with heads uncovered in defiance of the apostle’s command, for they wear a close-fitting cap and a veil.”[10] Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430 A.D.) writes, "It is not becoming, even in married women, to uncover their hair, since the apostle commands women to keep their heads covered."[11] Early Christian art also confirms that women wore headcoverings during this time period.[12]

Historic Catholic practice

The requirement that women cover their heads in church was introduced as a universal law for the Latin Rite of the Church for the first time in 1917 with canon 1262[13] of its first Code of Canon Law. It was not specifically addressed in the 1983 revision of the Code, which declared the 1917 Code abrogated.[14] According to the new Code, former law only has interpretive weight in norms that are repeated in the 1983 Code; all other norms are simply abrogated. There is no provision made for norms that are not repeated in the 1983 Code.[15] Some have argued that it is still obligatory, advancing several grounds for their opinion aside from the immutability of Holy Scripture, including the claim that headcovering for women is a centennial and immemorial custom (cf. canon 5 of the Code of Canon Law)[16][17] It was never universally obligatory for members of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

In some countries where women no longer as a matter of course wear hats when going outdoors, Catholic women do wear headcoverings in church. Traditionalist Catholic women do.[18] The forms range from a mantilla to a hat or a simple headscarf. If mantillas are worn, they are usually black (or any color but white) for married and white for unmarried women.

For men, the 1917 Code of Canon Law prescribed that they should uncover their heads unless approved customs of peoples were against it. In the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church it is obligatory for bishops to wear the zucchetto headcovering during certain parts of the liturgy, while use of the biretta, once obligatory for all diocesan clergy (as opposed to members of religious institutes), remains permitted for them. In all rites of the Catholic Church, bishops wear a mitre or a corresponding headcovering in church. Nevertheless, the mitre is removed in certain parts of the liturgy, and the zucchetto is also removed during the Eucharistic Prayer, which is always done uncovered, even for bishops, cardinals or the Pope.

Some religious orders such as the Benedictines and the Carthusians use the hoods of their habits to cover their heads during certain parts of liturgies.

Historic Protestant practice

Painting of Martin Luther preaching (all women wearing a head covering)

Among the Protestant Reformers, Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church, encouraged wives to wear a veil in public worship[19] John Knox and John Calvin, leaders of the Reformed Church, both called for women to wear headcoverings in public worship.[20][21][22] Other commentators who have advocated headcovering during public worship include John Gill, Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, A. R. Fausset, A. T. Robertson, Harry A. Ironside[23] and Charles Caldwell Ryrie.[24] In fact, until the 20th century no Reformed theologian taught against head coverings for women in public worship. While Anabaptists, Amish, and Mennonites advocate the wearing of headcoverings at all times, as a woman might pray or prophesy at any time, the Reformed teaching is that "praying and prophesying" refers to the activities taking place in public worship, as the Apostle Paul is dealing with public worship issues in 1st Corinthians, chapter 11. Their proof text is that women are in the same epistle commanded not to speak in the meetings of the church, so the apostle is obviously not addressing a practice women are to observe while they are publicly praying or preaching themselves. Anabaptists disagree and many women in their communities are so concerned with violating what they believe to be a command outside of public worship that they wear headcoverings to bed and in the shower, as they might offer a prayer then as well, and thus be in sin. Reason, however, would dictate that if Christian women were to wear head coverings at all times, then men, who in the same passage are commanded to uncover the head, would always be forbidden to wear hats or cover their heads. The Reformers understood the head covering mandate for women in public worship to be a sign of her submission to her husband, as the Scriptures declare "Christ is the head of man, man is the head of the woman". Anabaptists have argued, however, that a woman is obligated to rebel against her husband if he forbids her to wear the covering at all times, for it is better to obey God than to obey man. (1st Corinthians 11:3)

In Sweden the use of veil was common in older times, but faded away in the early 20th century and when women started going to church without a veil in the mid 1920s it caused little concern and within a decade most agreed that Swedish Christian women were not veiled, nor ever had been, nor should be.[25]

Headcovering, at least during worship services, is still promoted or required in a few denominations, such as those in the Anabaptist tradition, as well as among the more traditional Catholics. Among these are Catholics who live a plain life and are known as Plain Catholics. Some Conservative Church of Christ members practice this. Many Anabaptist denominations, including the Amish, Old Order Mennonite and Conservative Mennonites, conservative Church of the Brethren, the Old German Baptist Brethren,[26] the Hutterites,[27] and the Apostolic Christian Church; some Pentecostal churches, such as the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, The Pentecostal Mission, and the Christian Congregation in the United States, like Congregação Cristã no Brasil; the Laestadian Lutheran Church, the Plymouth Brethren; and the more conservative Scottish and Irish Presbyterian and Dutch Reformed churches. Believers Church, a denomination in India that traces its apostolic succession through the Anglican Communion, holds the wearing of headcoverings among women to be one of its traditions as well.[28] In those Christian denominations which have no official expectation that women cover, some individuals choose to practice headcovering according to their understanding of 1 Corinthians 11.

Current practice in Eastern Christianity

Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church

Some Eastern Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches require women to cover their heads while in church; an example of this practice occurs in the Russian Orthodox Church.[29] In Albania, Christian women often wear white veils, although their eyes are visible; moreover, in that nation, in Orthodox Christian church buildings, women are separated from men by latticework partitions during the church service.[30]

In other cases, the choice may be individual, or vary within a country or jurisdiction. Among Orthodox women in Greece, the practice of wearing a head covering in church gradually declined over the course of the 20th century, and today is only practiced by very elderly women of a particular generation that is now over 80 years old. In the United States, the custom can vary depending on the denomination and congregation, and the origins of that congregation.

The male clergy of the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches often have long hair and untrimmed beards if they are monastics, but married clergy often have standard haircuts. Eastern Orthodox clergy of all levels have head coverings, sometimes with veils in the case of monastics or celibates, that are donned and removed at certain points in the services. In US churches they are less commonly worn.

Bishops, archimandrites and archpriests wear mitres when wearing their liturgical vestments, which have their own rules concerning donning and doffing.

Orthodox nuns wear a head covering called an apostolnik, which is worn at all times, and is the only part of the monastic habit which distinguishes them from Orthodox monks.

Current practice in Western Christianity

Samoan Assemblies of God women in ministry wearing hats

In Continental Europe and North America at the start of the 20th century, women in most mainstream Christian denominations wore head coverings during church services.[31] These included many Anglican,[32] Baptist,[33] Methodist,[34] Presbyterian[20][21][35] and Roman Catholic Churches.[36] At worship, in parts of the Western World, many women started to wear bonnets in lieu of headcoverings, and later, hats became predominant.[37][38] However, eventually, in North America, this practiced started to decline,[31] with some exceptions, such as among conservative Mennonites and Amish, and Traditionalist Catholics.[39] In nations in regions such as the Indian subcontinent, nearly all women wear head coverings during church services.[40] Female members of Jehovah's Witnesses may only lead prayer and teaching when no baptized male is available to, and must do so wearing a head covering;[41][42] male Witnesses are to remove any headcovering (hats) when representing even a small group in public prayer.[43] Female members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or "Mormons", are required to veil their faces during a part of the temple worship ceremonies.[44]

Scriptural basis

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

Passages such as Genesis 24:65, Numbers 5:18 and Isaiah 47:2 indicate that some women chose to wear a head covering during the Old Testament time period. However, no Old Testament passage contains a command from God for women to wear a head covering.

There are non-canonical rabbinical writings head covering in relation to tzniut (meaning "modesty"), such as: Shulchan Aruch, Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's Stone of Help 115, 4; Orach Chayim 75,2; Even Ha'ezer 21, 2 4.[45]

Christian Bible/New Testament

1 Corinthians 11:2–16 contains the only passage in the New Testament referring to the use of headcoverings for Christian women, and the uncovering of the heads of men.

Interpretive issues

There are several aspects of 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 that Bible commentators and Christian congregations have held differing opinions about. One primary area of debate is whether Paul's call for men to uncover their heads — and women to cover their heads — was intended to be followed by Christians outside of the First Century Corinthian church.

The following are reasons for the belief that 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 does not call for contemporary Christians to practice headcovering:

  • Culture-Based Headcovering: One interpretation is that Paul's commands regarding headcovering were a cultural mandate that was only for the first-century Corinthian church. They say that Paul was simply trying to create a distinction between uncovered Corinthian prostitutes and godly Corinthian Christian women.
  • A Long Hair Headcovering: Other Christians believe that long hair is intended to be the headcovering (see 1 Corinthians 11:14–15).[46]
  • Not A Head Covering: Another view, propagated by feminist theologian Katharine Bushnell, holds that 1 Corinthians 11 itself even teaches that women should not cover their heads at all.[47]

Christians who believe that headcovering is a continuing practice taught by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 usually do so based on the following reasons:

  • Creation Order: The first reason for head covering is the order of authority found in a pre-fall creation. Supporters see a headship order listed in 1 Corinthians 11:3 which states “Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ”. A woman wearing a head covering is seen as a Christian symbol of submission to her male authority. As such, it is forbidden to be worn by the man, who is the head of the woman. Paul expands upon this creation order in 1 Corinthians 11:7–10a where he says “For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head…”. Paul pointing back to Genesis as a reason for head covering is used as an argument against the view that head covering was merely a cultural custom.
  • Angels: The second reason for head covering is "because of the angels". This comes from 1 Corinthians 11:10 where Paul says “Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.” Most supporters of this view contend that we cannot know for certain what Paul meant by this verse, since it is only given as a reason and not explained. Some popular interpretations of this passage are 1) An appeal not to offend the angels by our disobedience 2) a command to accurately show them a picture of the created order (Ephesians 3:10, 1 Peter 1:12) 3) a warning for us to obey as a means of accountability, since the angels are watching (1 Timothy 5:21) 4) to be like the angels who cover themselves in the presence of God (Isaiah 6:2) 5) not to be like the fallen angels who did not stay in the role that God created for them (Jude 1:6).
  • Nature: The third reason for head covering is what nature teaches us about gender distinctions (1 Corinthians 11:13–15). Paul gave the example of how nature teaches us about our hair lengths, writing, “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering” (1 Corinthians 11:14–15). Supporters see him as saying there are distinct differences between men and women seen in the natural order (such as hair lengths). When gender distinction is disregarded and crossed (like men having long hair and women having short hair), it dishonors the person. Since a head covering in this context is a feminine symbol of being under male authority, supporters feel that nature teaches that it is only for women, and for a man to wear a covering would be dishonorable. 1 Corinthians 11:4–5 is used to uphold this view.
  • Church Practice: The final reason for head covering is an appeal to the standard practice of all churches. Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 11:16, “But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God” are seen as saying that all other churches had no other custom than that of women covering their heads. The churches of God were spread out geographically over thousands of miles over such places as modern day Israel, Turkey & Greece. All these churches had a mixture of Jews and Gentiles fellowshipping in them, from many different cultures. Despite this diversity of cultures, they all practiced the female headcovering, showing that this was a Christian symbol rather than one of culture.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 1 Corinthians 11:2-16
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ http://www.scrollpublishing.com/store/head-covering-history.html[full citation needed][self-published source?]
  6. ↑ Tertullian. (1885). On the Veiling of Virgins. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), S. Thelwall (Trans.), Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Part Fourth; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen, Parts First and Second (Vol. 4, p. 33). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.
  7. ↑ Clement of Alexandria. (1885). The Instructor. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), Fathers of the Second Century: Hermas, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, and Clement of Alexandria (Entire) (Vol. 2, p. 290). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.
  8. ↑ Hippolytus, and Easton, B. (1934). The Apostolic tradition of Hippolytus. New York: Macmillan, p.43.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Jerome. (1893). The Letters of St. Jerome. In P. Schaff & H. Wace (Eds.), W. H. Fremantle, G. Lewis, & W. G. Martley (Trans.), St. Jerome: Letters and Select Works (Vol. 6, p. 292). New York: Christian Literature Company.
  11. ↑ Augustine of Hippo. (1886). Letters of St. Augustin. In P. Schaff (Ed.), J. G. Cunningham (Trans.), The Confessions and Letters of St. Augustin with a Sketch of His Life and Work (Vol. 1, p. 588). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ http://www.intratext.com/IXT/LAT0813/_P42.HTM[full citation needed][non-primary source needed]
  14. ↑ Canon 6 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law[non-primary source needed]
  15. ↑ Canon 6, section 2 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law[non-primary source needed]
  16. ↑ http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P1.HTM[non-primary source needed]
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[self-published source?]
  18. ↑ The practice is not universal even among Traditionalists: as can be seen in this video, not all the women attending Mass in the church of St Nicholas de Chardonnet in Paris, which is run by the Society of St. Pius X, wear a head covering, even those singing in the choir.[non-primary source needed]
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 John Knox, "The first blast of the trumpet against the monstruous regiment of women", Works of John Knox, David Laing, ed. (Edinburgh: Printed for the Bannatyne Club), IV:377[non-primary source needed]
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Seth Skolnitsky, trans., Men, Women and Order in the Church: Three Sermons by John Calvin (Dallas, TX: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1992), pp. 12,13.[non-primary source needed]
  22. ↑ Commentary on 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (and related passages)[self-published source?]
  23. ↑ Epistle to the Corinthians, H. A. Ironside, 1938, pp. 323-340
  24. ↑ Ryrie Study Bible, Moody Press, 1976, comments on I Corinthians 11:1-16, p.1741
  25. ↑ As a veil: The Christian veil in a Swedish context Hallgren Sjöberg, Elisabeth ;2014
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Commentary on 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (and related passages)[self-published source?]
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ "Questions From Readers", The Watchtower, July 15, 2002, page 27.
  43. ↑ "Should You Cover Your Head During Prayer?", The Watchtower, February 15, 1977, page 127-128.
  44. ↑ “The Development of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony.” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 20 (Winter 1987): 33-76.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[page needed]

Further reading

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External links

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