What is the teaching/tradition on head coverings???

[LilyLamb]

There are many church groups where women still use head coverings - (some) Catholics, most all Mennonite, Amish, Brethren and some other "Christian" religions always wear head coverings. Is this tradition still taught? If not, why not?

The following is from I Corinthians chapter 11 NJB ...

"And for a woman to pray or prophesy with her head uncovered shows disrespect for her head; it is exactly the same as if she had her hair shaved off. Indeed, if a woman does go without a VEIL, she should have her hair cut off too; but if it is a shameful thing for a woman to have her hair cut off or shaved off, then she should wear a VEIL."

"But for a man it is not right to have his head covered, since he is the image of God and reflects God's glory; but woman is the reflection of man's glory. For man did not come from woman; no, woman came from man; nor was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man: and this is why it is right for a woman to wear on her head a sign of the authority over her, because of the angels."

"Decide for yourselves: does it seem fitting that a woman should pray to God without a veil? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but when a woman has long hair, it is her glory? After all, her hair was given to her to be a covering."

"If anyone wants to be contentious, I say that we have no such custom, nor do any of the churches of God."

 

[Lynn]

I've wondered about this myself. Seeing a woman with her head covered seems to somehow project an image of humility before God. We used to wear veils or scarves in church and I, for one, liked it.
I was wandering around on-line one day and found a web site for a home business that makes head coverings for women...not just for worship but for everyday. The woman who owns it belongs to a church that believes woman should cover their heads at all times, including during sleep. That's going a little far for me but I do kinda wish we'd go back to veils at church. It just seems right somehow. (I know, I know, how 20th century of me!)

lynn

 

[VOW]

I know Orthodox Jewish women believe in covering their hair after marriage. There are even businesses which make very expensive WIGS for women; otherwise, a special scarf or special netting is worn. I believe the woman can only uncover her hair within her home, with her family present.

Yet the men must cover their heads when in the temple. And some Orthodox men have their heads covered all the time.


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[Wolseley]

Pauls' admonition for a woman to have her head covered has to do with the prevailing custom of the time for women to be in submission to their husbands; wearing a veil was a sign of respect and submission to the husband, much in the same manner as the burqa in Islamic countries today.

Ergo, to cast off the veil meant to be an "uppity female" and taking on airs and such, which was decidedly looked down upon at the time. Paul says if a woman casts off her veil, it's in the same class as having her head shaved, which is shameful.

The reason behind that odd statement is because Jewish women who had been accused of prostitution had to uncover their heads before the priest and undergo a test to prove their fidelity (Numbers 5:18). Naturally enough, a woman so accused would be in a highly shameful situation, and the stigma remained in the Jewish mind in Paul's day.

In addition, Roman temple prostitutes used to have shaved heads or extremely short, bobbed hair; ergo, to avoid having people think she was a prostitute, a woman would make sure her hair was long, which was not shameful, but her "glory", as Paul relates in verse 15.

As both the Jewish and Roman customs faded away over the course of centuries, the veil or female head covering became more or less just a custom; and in the modern Catholic Church, women are not required to have their heads covered, although many elderly women still do. There aren't a whole lot of women with shaved heads standing around in front of the local Temple of Aphrodite in most American cities these days, so the "shaved head=prostitute" angle is pretty much obsolete.

 

[seebs]

I always read 3-9 or so as something Paul was quoting, and around 10, he starts rebuking them, saying that the woman's hair *itself* is sufficient covering... and furthermore, pointing out that the whole thing is cultural. "We have no such custom" seems to me to mean "there is no doctrine to be had here, people should act as they feel appropriate".

 

[VOW]

To Wols:

There aren't a whole lot of women with shaved heads standing around in front of the local Temple of Aphrodite in most American cities these days, so the "shaved head=prostitute" angle is pretty much obsolete.

You don't get MTV, do ya, Wols?


Peace,
~VOW

 

[2002 Christian]

Catholic women in some countries still cover their heads while attending their unbloody 'sacrifice' of the mass. (My wife was one of them until she dumped the RCC before we married.)

 

[Lynn]

Originally posted by 2002 Christian
Catholic women in some countries still cover their heads while attending their unbloody 'sacrifice' of the mass. (My wife was one of them until she dumped the RCC before we married.)

excuse me, but that seems like an pretty rude comment (but maybe I've just been working out in the sun too long and my brains are fried )

lynn

 

[2002 Christian]

"Maybe" you've "just been working out in the sun too long" and your "brains are fried."

If you object to the wording, "unbloody 'sacrifice' of the mass," I didn't coin the term. It is used by Catholics and non-Catholics. If you object to the wording, "she dumped the RCC," I suppose I could have said "she left the RCC in anger."

 

[2002 Christian]

But that isn't the point of my post or this thread... back to the head coverings. To wear or not to wear, that is the question.

 

[Lynn]

maybe if I wore a head covering, my brains wouldn't fry

seriously though, I've very sorry that your wife left the church in anger. Unfortunately, no matter what the denomination, there can be disagreements and misunderstandings. I know that it saddens me to hear of them.
Blessings to you and to your wife

lynn

 

[Annabel Lee]

I suppose I could have said "she left the RCC in anger."

I'm sorry to hear that 2002.
I left the Catholic Church when I was 18 years old. I returned three years ago. While I was angry, it was really more of a misunderstanding. I didn't know my faith as well as I thought I did. But hey..I was 18.
I'm often saddened by how I had thoughtlessly cast my faith aside.
Peace to you.

 

[Wolseley]

You don't get MTV, do ya, Wols?

I avoid it at all costs. Admittedly, I don't watch a lot of TV; 98% of what's on television is only slightly above the intelligence level of a paramecium, and I find I have better things to do with my time.

Catholic women in some countries still cover their heads while attending their unbloody 'sacrifice' of the mass. (My wife was one of them until she dumped the RCC before we married.)

Protestant women in some countries never bother to cover their heads while attending their "symbolic Eucharist". (My wife was one of them until she dumped the Baptist church after we got married.)

(Just wondered what it would sound like with the shoe on the other foot.....and it still sounds nasty.)

 

[LilyLamb]

Thanks for the historical view, Wols - I will share this with my friends.

 

[jukesk9]

So, why do the Cardinals and the Pope still wear head coverings?