Editing Open Brethren (section)

====The head covering====
As to the reason behind [[Christian head covering|women covering their heads]] at meetings in traditional Open Brethren services, {{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:5-6|RSV}} says:

<blockquote>But every woman that prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman is not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.</blockquote>

Open Brethren traditionally interpret this verse to mean that during prayer, a Christian women is supposed to have her head covered; this has been the historic practice in all of Christendom.<ref name="Gordon2015">{{cite web |last1=Gordon |first1=Greg |title=Are Head Coverings Really for Today? |url=https://evangelicalfocus.com/yourblog/929/Are-Head-Coverings-Really-for-Today- |publisher=Evangelical Focus |access-date=2 May 2022 |language=English |date=31 August 2015 |quote=Hippolytus an early Church Father wrote, “Let all the women have their heads covered.” Others who taught this practice in the Church were, John Calvin [father of the Reformed tradition], Martin Luther [father of the Lutheran tradition], Early Church Fathers, John Wesley [father of the Methodist tradition], Matthew Henry [Presbyterian theologian] to name just a few. We must remind ourselves that until the twentieth century, virtually all Christian women wore head coverings.}}</ref> For this reason, Brethren meetings will be characterised by the women wearing head coverings ("loaners" in some assemblies are available at the back for women who have come without a covering). Head coverings typically take the form of a [[hanging veil]], [[mantilla]], [[shawl]], [[Tam cap|tam]], [[beret]] or other headcovering.<ref name="Loop2020">{{cite web |last1=Loop |first1=Jennifer |title=Why I Keep My Headcovering |url=https://www.ntwrightonline.org/why-i-keep-my-headcovering/ |publisher=[[N. T. Wright]] |access-date=9 April 2022 |language=English |date=12 May 2020}}</ref>

While that is an overly simplified view of the head covering, the traditional Brethren understanding of the purpose for the head covering comes from their interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:3&4, which says:

<blockquote><sup>3</sup>But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. <sup>4</sup> Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonours his head.</blockquote>

Here is the "picture" that the head covering is understood to display: the Head of the man is Christ, so the man's physical head needs to be uncovered to honour his Head, Christ. The head of the woman is the man, so the woman's physical head must be covered, men are not on display in the church. The woman's head covering and silence in the church shows that the men participating are not on display but rather that Christ is on display.<ref name="Crawford, N. 2003 p.76"/>

This practice is not as widely held by Brethren as it once was. Many assemblies throughout the world have developed to leave questions of head coverings, levels of female participation and responsibility to the discretion of the individual. But there are still some Brethren assemblies that seek to be completely untouched by changing attitudes within society regarding the role of women. They view the abandonment of the traditionally practised doctrine of [[Headship]] as evidence of an overall [[apostasy]] (or moral deterioration) within Christendom and as leading to disorder and eventual anarchy within their fellowships.