Paul on Women in the ChurchThe Contradictions of Coiffure in 1 Corinthians 11.2-16 (original) (raw)

1984, Journal For the Study of the New Testament

There has been a great deal of debate surrounding this passage, and the history of its interpretation is quite varied. 1 This is a result, in part, of an inherent contradiction in this pericope between w. 4-7 (which shall be called part A) and w. 10-12 (which shall•be called part B). As we shall discover, part A requires women to bow to Greek cultural norms with respect to coifiure, and at least implies an inferior position for women in the church; part Β allows women to wear whatever kind of headdress they desire, regardless of cultural dictates, and states that men and women are equal in the church. This essay will: (1) describe the nature of this contradiction, (2) describe the various interpretations it has been given by exegetes, and (3) give a new interpretation of this passage on the basis of a hitherto untried understanding of this contradiction.