Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 10
Renee critiques “freedom in Christ” rhetoric that treats commands as “bondage,” asking why God would “forget until the 20th century” to “release” women, and she ties the decline of veiling to feminism’s broader revolt (pain-free childbirth, rejecting subjection, cutting hair); what parts of that historical-theological narrative challenge you most, and what concrete practices (in dress, work, church roles, or home order) would you need to reevaluate if her diagnosis is even partly true?
Another way to ask: Renee challenges the idea that obeying commands is “bondage,” and she connects the drop in veiling to feminism and other changes. What parts of her story are hardest for you, and what real-life habits (clothes, work, church roles, or home life) might you need to rethink if she’s even partly right?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Renee’s narrative challenges the assumption that later modern shifts automatically equal spiritual “freedom”; she argues the real reevaluation would be whether our views on modesty, hair, women’s roles, and submission are shaped more by feminism than by Scripture and historic Christian practice.
- She reports being told: “You have freedom in Christ…You’re under bondage…No more rules and laws apply. It’s all under grace.”
- She challenges the timeline: Christ brought freedom “2,000 years ago,” so did God “forget until the 20th century” to say the veil was only temporary?
- She links decline of veiling to history: “Up until 150 years ago, this was a no-brainer,” then veiling morphs to “ornate bonnet…fashionable hat,” and by mid-20th century it’s “almost gone.”
- She connects that to feminism: rejecting “subjection,” “women in the workforce,” “women…pastors,” and “cut your hair and be free.”
- She reframes freedom: freedom was leaving “bondage” to hair obsession—“dyeing it and cutting it…following all the styles.”
- Her own concrete changes include skirts/modest dress, not cutting or coloring hair, learning “keepers at home,” and embracing submission.