(Chapter 7: “Of the Reasons Assigned by the Apostle for Bidding Women to Be Veiled”)
- Tertullian refers to the story in Genesis 6, where angels fell because of the beauty of the daughters of men. He interprets these daughters as virgins, not married women, and uses this to argue that the face of a virgin is so perilous it even caused angels to fall.
- The face, in his argument, is seen as so powerful and tempting that it ought to be veiled, because it is “accused of the driving of the angels from their confines.”
- He says the face should blush before God and the angels for its role in this downfall, and that the former “liberty of the head” (being uncovered) should no longer be allowed, not even in the presence of humans.
Key part:
The face of a virgin, even more than other parts, is dangerous and morally accountable for tempting beings—even heavenly ones. It must therefore be covered for both theological and moral reasons.
(Chapter 12: “Womanhood Self-Evident, and Not to Be Concealed by Just Leaving the Head Bare”)
- Tertullian criticises Christian women who claim to be virgins but show signs of womanhood and vanity, especially starting from the head and face.
- They abandon their virgin appearance by changing their hair, using pins, looking in the mirror, and enhancing their face with cosmetics and washing. Their actions betray a desire to appear attractive and mature.
- Though they behave and dress like worldly women, they leave their head bare, trying to maintain the external sign of virginity.
Key part:
The face becomes a site of deception, where a woman may try to seem modest while actually pursuing beauty and attraction. Tertullian sees this as hypocrisy, where everything in their conduct says “woman,” but the uncovered head says “virgin.”
Clement of Alexandria teaches that chaste women must cover their face because beauty is not meant for public display but only for their husbands.
Exposed beauty becomes a snare to men, so both the head and face should be covered to preserve modesty and prevent temptation. Even decorative clothing that draws attention to the face, like purple, is discouraged.
This is supported by his words:
“It has also been enjoined that the head should be veiled and the face covered; for it is a wicked thing for beauty to be a snare to men.”
St. Ambrose Of Milan says that women should cover their faces to protect their modesty and avoid attention from men. He believes that the veil keeps a woman safe from emotional harm and temptation. He also warns against looking at others with curiosity, as this can lead to sinful thoughts.
Key part:
“A woman covers her face with a veil for this reason, that in public her modesty may be safe. That her face may not easily meet the gaze of a youth, let her be covered with the nuptial veil.”
Didascalia Apostolorum is not from any Church Father however it is called (The Catholic Teaching of the Twelve Apostles of the Redeemer), a Church order originally written in Greek, but completely preserved only in Syriac translation. It claims apostolic authorship, but was, in fact, written probably by a bishop in northern Syria in the first half of the 3rd cent. ce for a Gentile Christian community.
The Didascalia Apostolorum says that if a woman covers her face to stay modest around strange men, she should not bathe with men in public baths. If there are no separate baths for women, and she must use the same bath, she should do so modestly and at a time when fewer people are around, like 10 o’clock.
The main point is that women should cover their faces and avoid situations that could lead to them being seen or tempted.
Key part:
“When there are baths for women in the city or in the district, a believing woman will not wash in the baths with men; for if thou veilest thy face from strange men by a covering of chastity, how then goest thou with strange men to the baths?”
St. Augustine is saying that using makeup to change the color of the face is dishonest and a form of deception, even to one’s own husband. He believes that women should only adorn themselves for their husbands, and even then, the Bible allows it only as a matter of tolerance, not as a command. True beauty, according to Augustine, comes not from outward adornments like jewelry or fine clothing, but from living a pure and blameless life.
Key part:
“The true adorning… consists not only in the absence of all deceitful painting of the complexion, but in the possession not of magnificent golden ornaments or rich apparel, but of a blameless life.”
Jerome says Christian women, especially widows, should avoid wearing makeup and dressing to attract attention. He criticises women who paint their faces, hide their age, and try to look young when they are not. He says this is fake and goes against nature and Christian modesty. True beauty, for Jerome, is not in appearance but in a blameless, modest life.
Key part:
“The women who ought to scandalize Christians are those who paint their eyes and lips with rouge and cosmetics; whose chalked faces, unnaturally white, are like those of idols… who smooth their faces, and rub out the wrinkles of age… A Christian woman should blush to do violence to nature, or to stimulate desire by bestowing care upon the flesh.”
