Head Coverings (1 Cor. 11:2-16) from a Roman Perspective

In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul dedicated a part of his writing to the wearing of head coverings while praying or prophesying (vv. 4-5, 13). He admitted that there was no such practice in the churches of God (v. 16); rather, he directed the judgment of the Corinthians in settling the matter. If head coverings were to be an observance in modernity, one would think there would be more passages dealing with the practice than this one text. What we must understand is that many practices were assumed and understood by the original audiences, so it is up to us to discern what ought to be observed today.

Recently I’ve been reading Vergil’s Aeneid which tells the story of the founding of Rome from the Trojan War with the Greeks up to the present day of Augustus’ rule. Vergil wrote in hindsight, and throughout his epic there are Christological themes. Since the writing was completed in 19 B.C. I can’t help but wonder if he ever met some Jews of the diaspora (cf. Acts 18:2). Nevertheless, he blended his epic with Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey  while maintaining a Roman perspective while Homer wrote from the Grecian perspective.

What I’ve found interesting about reading classical works in my graduate studies is the light they shine on biblical interpretation. Here’s what Vergil recorded about head coverings in Roman worship that may shed some light on the practice in the first century:

Hide your head, drape it in your purple clothing,
So that amid the flames of sacred ritual,
You see no enemy and spoil the omens.
Let your companions hold to this — and you too,
And your son’s sons: keep pure in this observance

(3.405-409; Sarah Ruden’s translation)

The wearing of head coverings indicated subordination to the gods and enabled the worshiper’s protection while ensuring the omens — typically interpreted by the entrails of sacrificed animals — reliability. Furthermore, it was a sign of purity in worship before the gods.

Corinth was a center of all things Grec0-Roman because the city itself was situated on an isthmus, so it was quite wealthy because it would charge tariffs for those passing through. Also held here were the Isthmian games that consisted of oratory, boxing, wrestling, and various other activities. The only time the famed philosopher Socrates left Athens was for a military expedition and to attend a festival in Corinth (Crito 52b), and these festivals included worship of the gods where head coverings may have been worn.

Head coverings are not relevant to us today, but to the early Christians — many of whom were converted from Roman paganism (cf. 1 Cor. 6:9-11) — this issue was a matter of conscience (cf. 1 Cor. 10:23ff) upon which Paul urged their best judgment.