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Christian head covering is the veiling of the head by women in a variety of Christian traditions. Some cover only in public worship, while others believe they should cover their heads all the time. The biblical basis for head coverings is found in 1 Corinthians 11:2–16. Although the head covering was practiced by most Christian women until the latter part of the 20th century, it is now a minority practice among contemporary Christians in the West.
Contents
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.
Early Church
Christian head covering was unanimously practiced by the women of the Early Church. This was attested by multiple writers throughout the first 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.” 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.” 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..." “Early church history bears witness that in Rome, Antioch, and Africa the custom [of wearing the head covering] became the norm [for the Church].”
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.” 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.” 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." Early Christian art also confirms that women wore headcoverings during this time period.
Historic Catholic practice
Head covering for women was unanimously held by the Roman Catholic Church until the 1983 Code of Canon Law came into effect. Historically, women were ordered to veil their heads when receiving the Eucharist following the Councils of Autun and Angers. Similarly, in A.D. 585, the Synod of Auxerre (France) stated that women should wear a head-covering during the Lord's Supper. The Synod of Rome in 743 A.D. declared that "A woman praying in church without her head covered brings shame upon her head, according to the word of the Apostle. Pope Nicholas I declared ex cathedra in 866 A.D. that "The women must be veiled in church services." In the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) said that "the man existing under God should not have a covering over his to show he is immediately subject to God; but the woman should wear a covering to show that besides God she is naturally subject to another."
In the 1917 Code of Canon Law it was a requirement that women cover their heads in church. It said, "women, however, shall have a covered head and be modestly dressed, especially when they approach the table of the Lord." Veiling was not specifically addressed in the 1983 revision of the Code, which declared the 1917 Code abrogated. 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. 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)
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. Headcovering, at least during worship services, is still promoted or required among traditional Catholics.
Historic Protestant practice
Among the Protestant Reformers, Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church, encouraged wives to wear a veil in public worship John Knox and John Calvin, leaders of the Reformed Church, both called for women to wear head coverings in public worship. Other commentators who have advocated head covering during public worship include John Gill, Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, A. R. Fausset, A. T. Robertson, Harry A. Ironside and Charles Caldwell Ryrie. In fact, until the 20th century no Reformed theologian taught against head coverings for women in public worship. While many Anabaptists, Amish, and Mennonites advocate the wearing of head coverings 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. The Anabaptists disagree saying that since women are in the same epistle commanded not to speak in the meetings of the church, the apostle is obviously not addressing a practice women are to observe while they are publicly praying or preaching themselves.
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.
Headcovering, at least during worship services, is still promoted or required in a few denominations, such as some in the Anabaptist tradition. 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, the Hutterites, 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. 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
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. 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.
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. In the United States, the custom can vary depending on the denomination and congregation, and the origins of that congregation.
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
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. These included many Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic Churches. At worship, in parts of the Western World, many women started to wear bonnets in lieu of headcoverings, and later, hats became predominant. However, eventually, in North America, this practice started to decline, with some exceptions, such as among conservative Mennonites and Amish, and Traditionalist Catholics. In nations in regions such as the Indian subcontinent, nearly all women wear head coverings during church services. 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; male Witnesses are to remove any headcovering (hats) when representing even a small group in public prayer. Female members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) are required to veil their faces during a part of the temple worship ceremonies.
Both Roman Catholic and Anglican nuns wear a veil.
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.
Christian Bible/New Testament
1 Corinthians 11:2–16 contains the only passage in the New Testament referring to the use of headcoverings for women (and the uncovering of the heads of men).
Paul introduces this passage by praising the Corinthian Christians for remembering the "teachings" (also translated as "traditions" or "ordinances") that he had passed on to them (verse 2).
Paul then explains the Christian use of headcoverings using the subjects of headship, glory, angels, natural hair lengths, and the practice of the churches. What he specifically said about each of these subjects has led to differences in interpretation (and practice) among Bible commentators and Christian congregations.
Interpretive issues
There are several key sections of 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 that Bible commentators and Christian congregations have held differing opinions about, which have resulted in a diversity of practices regarding the use of headcoverings.
Interpretive conclusions and resulting practices
Due to various interpretive issues (such as those listed above), Bible commentators and Christian congregations have a diversity of conclusions and practices regarding headcovering. 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. While some Christian congregations continue to use headcoverings for female members, others do not.