In this episode we develop the symbolism of clothing into some specific applications for reforming our dress in the future, and answer some questions from listeners around how to balance personal authenticity against objective standards.

If reforming our clothing means returning to the patterns of scripture, does that mean we should be wearing sackcloth when fasting, and that ministers should wear robes? Also, if clothing should reflect our nature and place, how does age factor into this — since our nature and our place in society changes as we grow older?

References

The sermon on the sabbath as a celebration:

Vocation, part 13: the call to rest

The article on fasting:

Fasting: scripture’s answer to consumerism

Other articles:

Jon Herr, The Minister’s Uniform

D. Bnonn Tennant, Not enough faith to worship

Jeffrey Meyers, Why Does the Pastor Wear a Robe?

Bnonn hilariously misunderestimates how many keystone episodes we’ve already produced, and Smokey reflects on how fractals are the key to understanding reality.

A grab-bag of advice on things worth knowing and doing that for some reason many people don’t know or do.

Now that we understand the symbolic nature of clothing, how should we begin reforming it? What does God want our clothes to look like, compared to what we have now? To begin answering this, we need to understand the connection between beauty, glory, and goodness — both in creation, and in clothing specifically.

References

The sermon on sacrifice as a creational pattern:

Vocation, part 11: the calling to sacrifice

Two other essays developing these ideas in more detail:

The symbolism of sacrifices

Death and sacrifice before the fall

Smokey regales us with the legendary embellishments around the patron saint of Wales — and makes a rather interesting point about how he reframed the dreaded pagan corpse lights into a positive, Christian view.

Following up our explanation of why head coverings matter in the new covenant age, we consider several objections — and even more questions — to flesh out the exegetical case, and apply it to modern life.

Objections answered:

1. It’s just cultural [00:02:08]

2. The hair is the covering [00:15:32]

3. Prayer and prophecy doesn’t mean worship, but spiritual gifts [00:17:23]

4. We can’t know what Paul really means, so we can’t be dogmatic about following it [00:27:14]

5. Men being uncovered doesn’t fit with men wearing crowns [00:28:45]

6. Nothing can “compete” with God’s glory [00:29:44]

Questions answered:

1. What does “on account of the angels” mean though? [00:31:54]

2. When and where should we cover? Only in worship, or during any religious activity? [00:33:50]

3. So we cover the covering? [00:36:56]

4. How much should we cover? [00:37:44]

5. What about the braided hair passages? [00:40:24]

6. What about dyeing your hair? [00:43:37]

7. How long should hair be? [00:45:57]

8. Is covering only for the married? [00:51:16]

9. How to answer non-head-coverers saying, “So you think I’m sinning?” [00:54:59]

10. Have you heard that covering should actually be translated testicle? [00:59:03]

11. Do you think Eve would have covered, either before or after the fall? [01:02:18]

References:

Daniel B. Wallace, What is the Head Covering in 1 Cor 11:2-16 and Does it Apply to Us Today? (June 2004)

K. P. Yohannan, Head Coverings (Kerala: Believers Church Publications, 2011), 12

Star Foster, Veiling: A Different Take On Pagan Womanhood (March 2012).

Tertullian, On the Pallium in Philip Schaff, Ante-Nicene Fathers, American edition, vol. 4 (1885), 10.

Two Centuries of Costume in America, 1620–1820 (The Macmillan Company, 1903), Vol 2, 582

Brian Schwertley, Head Coverings in Public Worship, 11.

Chrysostom, Homilies, 1 Corinthians 11

Bnonn and Smokey discuss the natural and cyclical rhythms built into the human psyche, which somehow involves the French Revolution, Hadestown, Joss Whedon, WD-40, and the heat death of the universe. And the gospel. Obviously.

In the new cosmological order inaugurated by Christ, where all believers now serve inside the veil of the most-holy place, men should no longer cover their heads, but women should—and both for the same reason the priests of the Old Covenant did. In the case of men, there is no longer anything between God and them in the hierarchy; rather, man is the glory of God, and should therefore shine forth in the heavenly court. In the case of women, they signify their place under men by covering themselves—since they, as the glory of man, should not compete with God’s glory in the heavenly court.

Further reading:

A previous article on our broader hermeneutical strategy: Looking at the beam and seeing by the beam

An episode exploring the liturgical calendar as a reflection of new covenant cosmology: Xmas special #1: Impressing heavenly patterns into time

A sermon on the cosmological change that took place at the cross: What makes a church a church? Part 6: Christians as divine council members

A sermon for a deeper understanding of how God is summing up the creation hierarchy in Christ: Rightly ordered affections: natural vs covenantal identity

Having just seen the Lord of the Rings musical on stage, Smokey pontificates on the good, the bad and the ugly, giving it 4 stars for sheer audaciousness, and recommending you see it.