Ángel
Manuel Rodríguez
Paul wrote
that women should cover their heads in church (1 Cor.
11:2-16). Why do we not enforce that mandate?
The
passage you refer to is difficult to interpret, mainly because we are
not as
well-informed about the topic as Paul's original readers were. Scholars
have written much about this passage and its sociohistorical background,
but still they disagree. A careful analysis of the verses requires
much more space than I have here. So the information I provide will
contribute to an answer and stimulate you to do your own research and
analysis of the text.
Adventists
have traditionally taken what the Bible says at face value, unless
its context suggests otherwise. In some cases a biblical passage may
be addressing a topic of relevance only to the original readers, such
as, for instance, removing one's sandals when approaching God (Ex.
3:5), a sign of reverence and respect. There are places in the world
where you have to remove your
shoes before entering an Adventist church.
But in the Western world we show reverence in different ways. We interpret
Paul's counsel on female head covering as a cultural issue. Here are
some reasons.
1.
Variety of Views in the Bible: That the topic of wearing a veil is a cultural matter is suggested
by the fact that during the biblical period the practice varied.
In the time of the patriarchs prostitutes covered their face with
a veil (Gen. 38:14, 15). Interestingly, Middle Assyrian laws (twelfth
century B.C.) did not allow prostitutes to wear a veil. Much later
we find some women in Israel wearing a long veil during
magical or divinatory rites (Eze. 13:17-21).
A bride covered her face before her wedding as a sign of modesty.
Some biblical passages suggest that the wedding veil was an ornamental
diaphanous veil Ancient Customs,
Modern Principles (S. of Sol. 4:1, 3;
6:7). A veil that covered the whole face-
as we find today in the Islamic world-was
probably unknown in Israel.
More common was the shawl placed on the head, which in some cases was
a sign of humiliation and mourning, as suggested by the women depicted
in the stone
engravings of Sennacherib, wearing them while leaving
the city of Lachish after its fall. David also
covered his head in mourning (2 Sam. 15:30). No Old Testament law required women or men to
wear a head covering; the social practice was simply accepted as appropriate.
2.
Purpose of the Cultural Practice: Paul is not discussing the veil that covered the face of a woman,
but a shawl placed on the head during worship. The use of a female
head covering was common in Greek and Roman societies.
Studies made about the Roman practice
reveal that prostitutes were forbidden to wear one and that both women
and men covered their heads during worship as a sign of reverence and
piety. In fact, the shawl was part of the Greek robe, not a separate
piece. Greek culture did not require men to cover their heads in worship. That was also the case among
Jews. In Roman culture the female head
covering was a symbol of high moral values, preservation
of femininity, and commitment to the husband; wearing it brought honor
to the husband and
the family.
3.
Reason for Paul's Counsel: Paul
was promoting among Christians a social practice related to proper
attire. The basic values represented by the head covering were compatible
with the Christian message, and rejecting the practice could have
brought discredit to the church. The wise approach was to continue
to do what was practiced by Christian women before they became Christians,
in order to demonstrate that Christianity supported society's high
values and not moral corruption. But not all Roman women covered
their heads; wealthy women were somewhat socially liberated, and
it is possible that some of them became Christians and did not cover
their heads in worship. Paul would have been trying to correct that
attitude to protect the integrity of the community of believers.
The
fact that covering the head was a cultural issue does not mean that
what Paul
wrote is meaningless for us. The values he was attempting to inculcate
in believers are to be preserved by us
and embodied in other ways. Values such as modesty, bringing honor
to our families in the way we dress and act, and preserving sexual
differences (gender specificity) in our appearance and demeanor are
not culturally determined.
11/11/04
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