Why the Title: "Recovering Covering"

 

The title Recovering Covering carries a deliberate double meaning.

First, the book seeks to recover a neglected biblical teaching. Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 11 were understood and practiced throughout much of Christian history, yet many churches now pass over the passage quickly or dismiss it as an outdated cultural custom. The book returns to the text and asks readers to consider Paul’s reasoning on its own terms.

Second, it invites women to recover the practice of covering in gathered worship—not through pressure, fear, or legalism, but through Scripture-informed conviction and Christian liberty.

“Recovering” also describes a process. Most women considering head covering must work through questions about history, interpretation, husbands, pastors, conscience, and the discomfort of being visibly different. The book does not simply say, “Put something on your head.” It helps women recover the theology beneath the symbol: biblical headship, creation order, glory, worship, and the presence of the angels.

The title therefore expresses the book’s central hope: that Christians might recover both the covering itself and the biblical truth it represents.