Book Review: Because of the Angels

 

 

 

Opening Statement and “What’s the Point?”

Because of the Angels: First Corinthians Eleven and Head Coverings in Divine Worship, by Paul C. Edgerton, offers a substantial modern defense of Christian head covering. Rather than treating the practice as an antiquated social custom, Edgerton places it within the larger reality of divine worship.

He summarizes his central purpose this way:

“Above all, the reader will find the practice of head covering to be rooted in worship rather than inequality.”

Tone, Author, and Audience

The tone is thoughtful, reverent, academic, and distinctly liturgical. Edgerton takes both Scripture and historic Christian practice seriously without allowing modern discomfort to overrule the biblical text. He also brings a beautiful and mysterious quality to his discussion of angels while grounding his theology firmly in Scripture. His treatment of “because of the angels” made those words the most emotionally powerful part of the passage for me.

The Rev. Dr. Paul C. Edgerton is a presbyter in the Reformed Episcopal Church and holds degrees in theology and worship studies. His education and pastoral experience qualify him to explore the relationship between Scripture, church history, theology, and worship. The book addresses both clergy and laypeople, although its Reformed Catholic and sacramental perspective may feel unfamiliar to some evangelical readers.

Purpose and Promise

Edgerton seeks to recover head covering as an ancient, biblical, and theologically meaningful Christian practice. He argues that Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 11 cannot be dismissed as a temporary Corinthian custom. He also considers what the passage reveals about creation, authority, glory, men and women, marriage, ministry, and worship.

Does the book accomplish its purpose? Yes. Edgerton places head covering where Paul places it: within divine worship. He does not reduce it to modesty, marriage, or female submission. Instead, he presents it as a visible acknowledgment of God’s created order within a worshiping assembly that includes both earthly believers and heavenly beings.

His treatment of the angels is especially valuable. Rather than depicting them as predatory beings from whom women must protect themselves, Edgerton connects them to the worship of God. The church does not worship alone; earthly worship participates in a heavenly reality in which angels are also present before God.

Within that setting, Paul’s instruction makes theological sense. Human glory is ordered appropriately so that worship directs attention toward God’s glory. The covering is not a supernatural shield, and the fabric possesses no spiritual power. It is an embodied act of obedience acknowledging God’s order in the presence of the earthly and heavenly assembly.

Why Does It Matter?

“Because of the angels” is among the most difficult and sensationalized phrases in 1 Corinthians 11. Some interpretations make women responsible for preventing angelic lust or imply that a covering protects them from spiritual attack. Such explanations can burden a simple act of obedience with fear and superstition.

Edgerton offers something better: an interpretation rooted in Scripture, reverence, worship, and the unseen reality surrounding the gathered church. The angels do not make the covering magical. Their presence reminds us that Christian worship participates in something much larger than what we can see.

What Sets This Book Apart?

Many books argue that Paul’s instruction still applies; Edgerton helps explain why head covering belongs in worship and what it communicates there. He treats covered and uncovered heads not as arbitrary dress requirements, but as meaningful signs within the worship of God. His discussion of angels, glory, and the heavenly assembly gives the practice a depth missing from many treatments of the passage.

Overall Impression and Verdict

Edgerton and I do not approach every detail from precisely the same denominational background. Nevertheless, his central understanding of head covering as an act rooted in divine worship is thoughtful, reverent, and persuasive. His treatment of “because of the angels” is one of the book’s greatest strengths.

Highly recommended. This is one of the two books about Christian head covering that I personally give to women who want to study the subject more deeply.