Hanging veil

A Hutterite Anabaptist Christian teacher wearing an opaque hanging veil
An opaque hanging veil worn by an Anabaptist Christian woman belonging to the Charity Christian Fellowship

A hanging veil, also known as a flowing veil or charity veil, is a type of Christian headcovering, which is worn by some Christian women continually, in obedience to Paul the Apostle's command in 1 Corinthians 11:2–10.[1][2] Hanging veils enjoy popularity in a diverse array of Christian denominations, especially those of the Anabaptist Christian tradition (such as Mennonites and Hutterites).[2] In certain Conservative Mennonite Anabaptist congregationations of the Beachy Amish Mennonite tradition, an opaque hanging veil is permitted as an alternative to the kapp if it covers as much or more hair as the kapp, which traditionally is "of ample size to cover most of the hair".[2] Opaque hanging veils are usually white or black in colour for modesty.[3][4] Hanging veils are designed to drape over the natural curves of a woman's head and hang down a woman's neck.[1] Certain denominations of Christianity provide guidelines regarding the headcovering; the Ministry Training Center of the Biblical Mennonite Alliance, for example, teaches:[5]

A veiling shall be worn by the sisters. We believe the best application of the headship principle as taught in I Corinthians 11 is for the veiling to be worn as a part of their regular attire to cover hair that is allowed to grow to its natural length. Ladies shall wear all their hair neatly up, avoiding fashion extremes, covered with a hanging veil, scarf, or traditional Mennonite covering of sufficient size to substantially cover the hair. Hanging veils and scarves must cover at least from the crown of the head to the bottom of the hair bun.[5]

Women who headcover with the hanging veil wear it throughout the day, with the exception of sleeping, based on Saint Paul's dictum that Christians are to "pray without ceasing", Saint Paul's teaching that women being unveiled is dishonourable, and as a reflection of the created order.[6][7][8][9] Manuals of early Christianity, including the Didascalia Apostolorum and Pædagogus likewise instruct that a headcovering must be worn by a Christian woman both during prayer and worship, as well as in public.[10][11]

  1. ^ a b Mong, Megan (2018). Modest Dress As Literacy Practice In English-Speaking Conservative Mennonite Groups. University of North Dakota. p. 35-36.
  2. ^ a b c Statement of Faith and Practice. Bakersville: Salem Amish Mennonite Church. 2012. p. 4.
  3. ^ Fry, Simon (2 January 2016). "History of the Anabaptist Head Covering". Another Radical Reformation. Retrieved 11 May 2022. The hanging veil, in either black or white, has also been added to many circles as being an accepted form of the head covering.
  4. ^ Hochstetler, Ernest (2002). "The Covering/Headship Veil" (PDF). BeachyAM. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Values and Guidelines". Ministry Training Center of the Biblical Mennonite Alliance. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  6. ^ Almila, Anna-Mari; Almila, David (6 July 2017). The Routledge International Handbook to Veils and Veiling. Taylor & Francis. p. 296. ISBN 978-1-317-04114-6.
  7. ^ Winger, Otho (1919). History and Doctrines of the Church of the Brethren. Brethren Publishing House. p. 218.
  8. ^ Willis, Daniel (1 May 2022). "14 Objections to the Head Covering Answered". Sound Faith. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  9. ^ Ruth, Merle (2022). The Significance of the Christian Woman's Veiling. Christian Light Publications. p. 17. … worn to show that the wearer is in God's order. A sister should wear the veiling primarily because she is a woman, not because she periodically prays of teaches. It is true that verses 4 and 5 speak of the practice in relation to times of praying and prophesying. But very likely it was for such occasions that the Corinthians had begun to feel they might omit the practice in the name of Christian liberty. The correction would naturally be applied first to the point of violation. Greek scholars have pointed out that the clause "Let her be covered" is the present, active, imperative form, which gives the meaning, "Let her continue to be veiled."
  10. ^ Gibson, Margaret Dunlop (1903). The Didascalia Apostolorum in English. C.J. Clay. pp. 9–10. Thou therefore who art a Christian [woman] … if thou wishest to be faithful, please thy husband only, and when thou walkest in the market-place, cover thy head with thy garment, that by thy veil the greatness of thy beauty may be covered; do not adorn the face of thine eyes, but look down and walk veiled; be watchful, not to wash in the baths with men.
  11. ^ Adams, Edward (24 October 2013). The Earliest Christian Meeting Places: Almost Exclusively Houses?. A&C Black. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-567-15732-4. Woman and man are to go to church decently attired … Let the woman observe this, further. Let her be entirely covered, unless she happen to be at home. For that style of dress is grave, and protects from being gazed at. And she will never fall, who puts before her eyes modesty, and her shawl; nor will she invite another to fall into sin by uncovering her face. For this is the wish of the Word, since it is becoming for her to pray veiled.