Christian clothing
Part of a series on |
Christianity |
---|
Many
Clothing worn during religious services
In some Christian communities, the term "Sunday best" refers to the tradition of saving one's finest clothing for Sunday services. In some communities, churches served as the main social center for local residents. As such, dressing in fine clothing for religious services was often dictated by a need to project status and influence among peers.[2] Many Christians reject this practice and instead encourage modest, respectful dress not only for Sunday worship, but in everyday life (cf. outward holiness).[3] For example, Methodists in the conservative holiness movement teach with respect to modesty that before the fall of man, "Nakedness was 'very good' from the beginning, but its innocence was corrupted by the fall", a concept taught in Genesis 1:31 and Genesis 2:25.[4] Genesis 3:8–10 and Revelation 16:15 teach that after the fall of man, "publicly exposed nakedness is a symbol of the shame of sin."[4] In Genesis 3:7, Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness, though their attempt was inadequate for God; this, according to Holiness Methodist theology, reflects the tendency in humans to "invent inadequate coverings for our nakedness."[4] Genesis 3:21 and Revelation 3:18 teach that Jehovah properly clothed humans and that a "fully-clothed person is a God-ordained symbol of the full clothing of Christ's righteousness."[4] Exodus 20:26 and Exodus 28:42–43 teach that nakedness is inclusive of anything that includes the torso and thighs; as such Christians of the Holiness Methodist tradition wear pants or dresses that go beyond the knees, as well as shirts that do not expose the underarms.[4]
Conservative Anabaptist denominations, such as the
Many Christian traditions encourage or require adherents to don clothing of religious significance during church services (and in the public), such as a
In recent decades, some churches have encouraged a more informal dress code. Among the first to adopt this policy were the
See also
- Religious clothing – including further information on Christian religious clothing
References
- ^ "Clothing". Early Christian Commentary. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ "The Origin of Dressing Up for Church". 8 December 2014.
- ^ "What Should We Wear to Worship?", Radically Christian, 27 May 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Arnold, Johnathan (21 January 2022). "A Simple Outline for Teaching on Modest Clothing". Holy Joys. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ^ a b c Winger, Otho (1919). History and Doctrines of the Church of the Brethren. Brethren Publishing House. p. 218.
I. We examined prayerfully the scriptural grounds of Christian attire, and found that Jesus and the apostles taught modesty and simplicity of life and modesty in dress and manners. The scriptures bearing on the subject of dress and adornment are of several classes: First. Jesus condemned anxious thought for raiment (Matt. 6: 25-33; Luke 12:22-31). Second. The direct teachings, such as 1 Tim. 2:9, 10; 1 Peter 3:3-5. Third. Teachings on nonconformity to the world in general, and that apply to dress on general principles, such as Romans 12:1, 2; 1 Cor. 10:31; 1 Peter 1:14-15; 1 John 2:15-17. II. Investigation shows that the early church fathers and our own church fathers taught strongly and uniformly against pride and superfluity in dress, and constantly in favor of gospel plainness.
- ISBN 978-1-78969-322-5.
- ISBN 978-1-68099-243-4.
- ISBN 978-0-924722-06-6.
Hippolytus, a leader in the church in Rome around the year 200, compiled a record of the various customs and practices in that church from the generations that preceded him. His Apostolic Tradition contains this statement: "And let all the women have their heads covered with an opaque cloth, not with a veil of thin linen, for this is not a true covering." This written evidence of the course of performance of the early Christians is corroborated by the archaeological record. The pictures we have from the second and third centuries from the catacombs and other places depict Christian women praying with a cloth veil on their heads. So the historical record is crystal clear. It reveals that the early generation of believers understood the head covering to be a cloth veil—not long hair.
- ^ "Veil". Early Christian Dictionary. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ Earle, Alice Morse (1903). Two Centuries of Costume in America, Vol. 2 (1620–1820). The Macmillan Company. p. 582.
One singular thing may be noted in this history, – that with all the vagaries of fashion, woman has never violated the Biblical law that bade her cover her head. She has never gone to church services bareheaded.
- ^ "Uncovering the Head Covering Debate". Her.meneutics. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ^ Murray, John (15 January 1992). "The Use of Head Coverings in the Worship of God". Presbyterian Reformed Church. Archived from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ISBN 9781418540876.
- ISBN 9780870831423.
- ^ "Calvary Chapel Core Convictions: Informal/ Relaxed Style". Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
External links
- Clothing - Early Christian Commentary
- Clothing of the early Christians and Arabians of the Middle East
- "A Business of the Cloth Finds a Surge in Demand" by Debra Nussbaum, "The New York Times", January 28, 1996, retrieved September 6, 2009.
- "What Would Jesus Sell?" by Stephanie Simon, "The Los Angeles Times", July 21, 2006, retrieved January 4, 2010.