Headdress or Hairstyle? A Study of 1 Corinthians 11 and the Use of the Veil in Worship

Authors

  • Christie Goulart Chadwick Adventist University of São Paulo UNASP, São Paulo, (Brazil)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19141/1809-2454.kerygma.v17.n1.pe01592

Keywords:

Corinth, Veil, Worship, Gender, Modesty

Abstract

This article investigates whether Paul is recommending a veil for women in the context of worship, or whether he is discussing appropriate hairstyles for them. A closer look at the passage of 1 Corinthians 11:4–16 shows first of all that Paul is not discussing only women, but the appropriate attire for both men and women in light of what is proper and expected in the Greco-Roman society of his time. The absence of a word for “veil” in the original text points to the possibility of a discussion of hairstyles and not apparel for the head. Archaeological and textual evidence from this period supports this interpretation.

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Author Biography

Christie Goulart Chadwick, Adventist University of São Paulo UNASP, São Paulo, (Brazil)

PhD in ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Archaeology, Andrews University, Michigan, (United State). Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Archaeology at the Adventist University of São Paulo UNASP, São Paulo, (Brazil). 

References

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CONZELMANN, H. A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1975. (Hermeneia).

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GILL, D. W. J. The Importance of Roman Portraiture for Head Coverings in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. Tyndale Bulletin 41, n. 2, p. 245–260, 1990.

HODGE, C. An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965.

HURLEY, J. B. Did Paul Require Veils or the Silence of Women? A Consideration of I Cor. 11:2-16. Westminster Theological Journal 35, n. 2, p. 190–220, winter 1973.

MURPHY-O'CONNOR, J. Sex and Logic in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 42, n. 4, p. 482–500, oct. 1980.

MURPHY-O'CONNOR, J. St. Paul's Corinth - Texts and archaeology. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2002.

OSTER, R. When Men Wore Veils to Worship: The Historical Context of 1 Corinthians 11.4. New Testament Studies n. 34, p. 481–505, October 1988.

OSTER, R. Use, Misuse and Neglect of Archaeological Evidence in Some Modern Works on 1 Corinthians. Zeitschrift Fur Die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft, n. 83, p. 53–73, Band, 1992.

ROBERTSON, A.; Plummer, A. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1914. (The International Critical Commentary.)

ROUSSELLE, A. Body Politics in Ancient Rome. A History of Women in the West. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1992.

THISELTON, A. C. The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

THOMPSON, C. L. Hairstyles, Head-coverings, and St. Paul: Portraits from Roman Corinth. Biblical Archaeologist 51, n. 2, p. 99–115, 1988.

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Published

2022-10-13

How to Cite

CHADWICK, C. G. Headdress or Hairstyle? A Study of 1 Corinthians 11 and the Use of the Veil in Worship. Kerygma, Engenheiro coelho (SP), v. 17, n. 1, p. e01592, 2022. DOI: 10.19141/1809-2454.kerygma.v17.n1.pe01592. Disponível em: https://revistas.unasp.edu.br/kerygma/article/view/1592. Acesso em: 24 nov. 2024.

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2022): Fluxo contínuo

Section

Artigos Livres

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Copyright (c) 2022 Christie Goulart Chadwick

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