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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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.)

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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: 27 jan. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2022): Fluxo contínuo

Section

Artigos Livres

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Christie Goulart Chadwick

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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