S3 | E3 Headcovering: Cultural Relic, Biblical Command, Or A Christian Liberty? {Part 2} – Reformed Faith and Family
In the previous installment of this series, Headcovering: Cultural Relic, Biblical Command, Or A Christian Liberty?, we examined the biblical and historical case for headcovering in Christian worship. We saw that the Apostle Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 is not an obscure cultural relic, but a command rooted in Creation, authority, and the glory of God. For nearly two thousand years, Christian women across traditions honored this practice until its near-eradication during the feminist revolution of the 20th century.
What became clear is this: the command to cover the head during corporate worship is not optional. It is a visible symbol of God’s good design for biblical manhood and womanhood, and it points away from human glory and toward God’s alone. However, as with many areas of obedience, there remains room for Christian liberty in how this symbol is practiced.
In this article, we’ll explore three areas where faithful believers may hold different convictions while still honoring the clear command of Scripture: the style of the headcovering, the duration and setting in which it is worn, and the age at which a woman begins to wear one. While the command itself is clear, these aspects invite wisdom, patriarchal guidance, and a conscience informed by Scripture.
This discussion should be approached with grace, humility, and a sincere desire to glorify God, not as a means to measure others by personal preference, but to promote joyful obedience and clarity grounded in Scripture.
The Headcovering Passage
Before we begin discussing these areas of Christian liberty, let’s revist our headcovering passage in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 for a little refresher:
2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. 5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.
1. Choosing A Headcovering Style
The first area of Christian liberty is the style of headcovering worn. Ancient depictions often show women in full veils, but as cultures and clothing styles changed, so too did headcoverings, varying in length, structure, and form.
Paul does not specify how much of the head or hair to cover. He states simply that a woman ought to cover her head as a symbol of authority (1 Corinthians 11:5–6, 10). The command is clear, but the precise details are intentionally unstated. Paul’s concern is with the meaning of the symbol, not the measurement of the fabric. So long as the head is covered in a modest and identifiable way, believers have freedom to practice according to conscience.
Scripture also provides us with broader guidance on feminine modesty, which should shape our approach:
Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. 1 Timothy 2:9-10
Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; – 1 Peter 3:3
God desires women to be virtuous, not vain. Our headcovering choices should reflect that desire. Flashy or ostentatious styles detract from the purpose of the covering: to obscure the woman’s glory (her hair) so that God’s glory is magnified in worship.
2. When and Where to Headcover
The second area of Christian liberty involves when and where the headcovering should be worn. The context of Paul’s instruction is the gathered assembly – corporate worship. This section of 1 Corinthians addresses matters of church order, and so we believe the primary application of the symbol is in the formal worship setting.
Some women feel personally convicted to wear a headcovering at all times, and there is nothing wrong with that practice. The symbol still communicates biblical submission. However, since Scripture does not require headcovering outside corporate worship, and historical precedent supports this limited context, we encourage caution against legalism. What is beneficial personally should not be imposed universally upon the church. Where Scripture is silent, liberty is granted; where Scripture speaks, we must obey.
The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 20, “Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience” states:
“God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in anything contrary to His Word, or beside it in matters of faith or worship.”
3. The Appropriate Age to Begin Headcovering
The final area of liberty concerns the age at which a woman should begin headcovering. Scripture is clear that women are to cover, but it does not specify an exact age or stage of life.
A common debate centers on whether Paul’s instruction applies only to wives or to women more broadly. Some modern translations, like the English Standard Version, have chosen to render the Greek word gynē (which can mean either “woman” or “wife”) as “wife,” leading many to conclude that headcovering is only for married women. But this is a modern innovation, not a historical norm. The consistent understanding and practice of the Church for centuries has been that all women, married or not, are included in this command.
Parents rightly wonder when their daughters should begin to participate. Historically, young girls did cover their heads, but the age varied based on wisdom and maturity. This should not be an area for rigid rule making. Some young children may resist a covering, while others desire to imitate their mothers. As with many aspects of training in righteousness, gentle guidance and patience go a long way.
At a minimum, the command would apply to young women who are actively participating in corporate worship, engaged in prayer, singing, and attentive to the Word. Parental discernment plays an important role in determining the appropriate time.
For further reading on this subject, we recommend the Headcovering Movement’s resource page entitled, “Should Single Women Wear Head Coverings?“
Christian Liberty Within the Bounds of Obedience
Throughout Church history, women took headcovering seriously enough to cover with an apron or even their hands if a veil was not available. Today, we would do well to reclaim that same reverence. Headcovering is not a cultural oddity or personal aesthetic. It is a public, visual affirmation of God’s order and glory in worship.
The command is clear. The symbol matters. And yet, within the boundaries of that command, God grants wisdom, liberty, and space for Christian conscience.
Let us not burden others with our preferences, nor forsake conviction in the name of liberty. Instead, may we walk in joyful, reverent obedience, encouraging one another in the fear of the Lord and the beauty of His design.
Recommended Resources for Further Study
- Michael Barrett’s Head Covering for Public Worship
- Michael Barrett’s Sermon Series on Headcovering
- Bnonn Tennant on Head Coverings
- History of Quotes on Headcovering Since the Reformation
- Head Covering: A Forgotten Christian Practice for Modern Times by Jeremy Gardiner
- R.C. Sproul’s The Hard Sayings of the Apostles: To Cover Or Not To Cover
- Bright Hearth on Headcoverings
- The Head Covering Movement’s Rescource Page
It’s the Heart Not the Hemline: A Biblical Unit Study on Modesty
Want to train your girls up in modesty? It is a lost virtue in today’s world. It’s the Heart Not the Hemline: A Biblical Unit Study on Modesty is designed to be a five week unit study for growing girls completed alongside one or both parents.
