Theocast
Does the Bible Require Head Coverings? (w/ Doug Van Dorn)
February 18, 2026
Summary
Should women wear head coverings in church, or is something else going on in 1 Corinthians 11? This passage has puzzled believers for years and is gaining new attention in both conservative and Reformed churches. In this episode, Jon is joined by Doug Van Dorn to explore how this text should be read and understood. You will see why context, culture, and authorial intent matter when interpreting difficult passages of Scripture. Rather than focusing on surface-level conclusions, this conversation equips you to read the Bible more carefully.
Topics
- Reading 1 Corinthians 11 on head coverings carefully
- Why context, culture, and authorial intent matter
- Moving past surface-level conclusions on a contested text
- Conversation with Doug Van Dorn
Links
- Doug Van Dorn — guest site
- The Bible According to Jesus — how Jesus teaches us to read the Scriptures
- Theocast Community
- Rest — free ebook on faith vs. faithfulness
- Partner with Theocast
Transcript
Edited machine transcript. May contain errors. Select a timestamp to watch that moment.
Should women wear head coverings in church?
1 Corinthians 11, that is a tough passage.
And a lot of people have struggled with it for years.
And there's been a rise of head coverings in churches, not only in conservative, but also Reformed churches.
And should we be taking this passage literal?
How should we understand it?
Well, today I bring Doug Van Dorn onto the podcast because he has a new book out, actually walking through this passage.
And I think it's important that we listen to what he has to say because, one, we're going to learn about how to interpret hard passages, and two, learn how to use context and culture to understand this particular passage.
So, stay tuned.
Most Christians that I meet, they're not reading their Bibles because they're not interested in it or in Jesus.
It's frustrating, it's confusing.
We often get lost.
I myself have felt that for many years.
The Bible, according to Jesus, was written to help people understand the point of the Bible, which we're not hiding.
It's about Jesus: how to understand the Old Testament law, and the covenants, and the promises, and the prophecies.
Hopefully this is helpful for you, and will encourage you to read your Bible more.
You can grab a copy of this new book at theocast.org.
Welcome to another episode of Theocast.
I'm host, John Moffitt.
I'm the pastor of Grace Reform Church in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
