September 2026 Meetup - Of Head Coverings
Hosted at Rigby's Cigars in Paris, Texas.
Our Conversation Topic
Here is an uncomfortable historical fact: for roughly nineteen centuries, Christian women covered their heads in worship. Tertullian testified to it around AD 200, Chrysostom preached it, Calvin required it in Geneva, and the ladies of every Presbyterian and Baptist church in Texas wore hats into living memory. Then, in about one generation, the practice vanished. It is worth asking whether we stopped because we studied 1 Corinthians 11 more carefully, or because the culture changed and the church shrugged along with it.
The passage itself (1 Cor 11:2–16) is a hard text handled honestly. Paul never once appeals to Corinthian custom. Instead he stacks four arguments that don't obviously expire: the creation order ("woman from man"), nature itself, "because of the angels," and the universal practice of the churches of God. Whatever we do with the covering, we have to do something with those.
This month we're going to steel-man the question, presenting each major position stated in its strongest form, the way its best advocates argue it, softest points conceded and all:
- The covering is still required in public worship - the historic practice, argued in the modern era by John Murray of Westminster Seminary.
- The principle is permanent; the covering was its cultural symbol - the majority view in Reformed churches today: headship binds, the sign translates (think of the holy kiss, commanded five times).
- The hair is the covering - the only covering the passage ever actually names is in verse 15.
- The egalitarian reading - outside our confessional lane, but we'll face it at full strength rather than the cartoon version.
Printed study notes with the full steel-man for each view, a comparison table, and discussion questions will be available at the table.
Verse 16 warns against being contentious about this very topic — so we'll aim for the rarer thing: conviction with charity, and a room full of men who can state their brother's view better than he can.
References
- John Murray, "Head Coverings and Decorum in Worship: A Letter" — the classic case for the historic practice (widely available online).
- Thomas R. Schreiner, "Head Coverings, Prophecies, and the Trinity," ch. 5 of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (Piper & Grudem, eds.) — free PDF at Desiring God.
- John Calvin, Commentary on 1 Corinthians 11 — public domain at CCEL.
- Tertullian, On the Veiling of Virgins — the earliest extended treatment, c. AD 200 (public domain, CCEL, Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 4).
- R. C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture — his chapter on culture and the Bible uses this passage as the test case for telling principle from custom.
When & Where
Rigby's is in downtown Paris, Texas. Thursday, September 17th, at 7:00 PM.
This post drafted by LLM agent based on study notes, reviewed and edited by a human.
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