Head Coverings: Then and Now?

“The wearing of fabric head coverings in worship was universally the practice of Christian women until the twentieth century.  What happened?  Did we suddenly find some biblical truth to which the saints for thousands of years were blind?  Or were our biblical views of women gradually eroded by the modern feminist movement that has infiltrated the church?"

-R.C. Sproul

Thursday, 15 February 2018 from 1800-2000(ish)

Rotolo's (under 21 welcome)

Headcoverings seem to be something taken out of the historical Christian culture, or stubbornly held onto by Eastern Orthodox, pre-Vatican II Roman Catholics, and Coptic/Arabic churches.  Looking closer, however, we find evidence of head coverings in use by women in the church since AD 100 in the catacombs of Italy through the mid 20th century in mainline congregations and through today in other sects.  Why were they used and why not now?  Is R.C. Sproul right in that modern feminism has infected the church concerning headcoverings via egalitarianism or is it something else?

Questions:

• Following the order of Paul, there are four reasons for head coverings: The Creation Order, the Angels, Nature, and Church Practice.  How do these four reasons inform our thoughts on this subject? 
• Are Paul's words to the Corinthians a perpetual mandate for the church of all ages or a local/temporal custom illustrating a principle, perhaps in relation to temple prostitutes?    
• Do (did) headcoverings only refer to public worship, especially if we are taught to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:16)?
• Is a woman's hair not her covering?  And what then of those that cut it short or cannot grow long hair?
• If the Presbyterian church advocated headcoverings until the 1960s, what changed/happened like RC Sproul said in the masthead quote?
• Does Paul in 1 Tim 2:12-15 strengthen or have no impact on the position that head coverings are applicable to today?

Readings:

• The Biblical Case for Head Coverings #1, 2, 3, 4 (The Head Covering Movement: Jeremy Gardiner)
• Should Women Wear Head Coverings? (TGC: Benjamin Merkle)
• Uncovering the Head Covering Debate (Christianity Today: Luma Simms)
• John Calvin's Commentary on Head Coverings (The American Historical review: Michael Bailey)
• Head coverings in Scripture and Church History (Greg Price)
• Covered Glory (condensed) (full-length) (David Phillips)