Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Vol 4) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read 'On the apparel of women'.
My summary
Today Tertullian gives us his thoughts on women's fashion.
Firstly Tertullian establishes the importance of modesty, including citing the book of Enoch unashamedly.
Secondly Tertullian discounts the value of precious metals and stones in themselves.
Then Tertullian discusses different fashions, including makeup and hair colouring.
His conclusion for women is: 'Do you go forth (to meet them) already arrayed in the cosmetics and ornaments of prophets and apostles; drawing your whiteness from simplicity, your ruddy hue from modesty; painting your eyes with bashfulness, and your mouth with silence; implanting in your ears the words of God; fitting on your necks the yoke of Christ. Submit your head to your husbands, and you will be enough adorned. Busy your hands with spinning; keep your feet at home; and you will “please” better than (by arraying yourselves) in gold. Clothe yourselves with the silk of uprightness, the fine linen of holiness, the purple of modesty. Thus painted, you will have God as your Lover! '
What grabbed me
A tricky subject as God does value physical beauty.
Although not all that Tertullian said was unhelpful, I think he verged on the extreme with comments like: 'Moreover, what causes have you [Christian women] for appearing in public in excessive grandeur, removed as you are from the occasions which call for such exhibitions? For you neither make the circuit of the temples, nor demand (to be present at) public shows, nor have any acquaintance with the holy days of the Gentiles. Now it is for the sake of all these public gatherings, and of much seeing and being seen, that all pomps (of dress) are exhibited before the public eye; either for the purpose of transacting the trade of voluptuousness, or else of inflating “glory.” You, however, have no cause of appearing in public, except such as is serious. Either some brother who is sick is visited, or else the sacrifice is offered, or else the word of God is dispensed. '
Tertullian, are there really only three valid reasons for a woman to go out in public?
Next week's reading
Read 'On the veiling of virgins'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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