It is important to make the distinction between dogma and social custom. In the Roman Empire, and particularly in Corinth, married women wore head coverings. A woman without a head covering could suggest sexual availability. Corinth was a centre of prostitution, and the churches there faced numerous moral problems; therefore, these issues must be understood within that context.

Social custom was the language through which a woman publicly expressed her identity, honour, and status. When the Holy Apostle Paul refers to the wearing of a head covering, he is not creating a new rule, but rather making use of existing cultural codes in order to safeguard the credibility of the Church in a morally confused environment.

Why was it necessary to use this cultural code? Because Christianity introduced something entirely new: women prayed, prophesied, and actively participated in the life of the Church. The Holy Apostle Paul did not want any confusion to arise between Christian women without head coverings and immoral women.

This was not a religious requirement, but a social custom. Women wore head coverings throughout society, not only during church gatherings or services.

So then, if the dress code in a community is to wear a headscarf, then wearing one would not be a problem. The problem arises when one begins to believe that if they stopped wearing a headscarf, God will be upset with them. That’s the real issue! This is where the sickness of religiosity lies.

(see 1 Corinthians 11)