Patriarchy, Modesty, and Leggings

Photo by Ahmed Carter on Unsplash

Conservative Baptist theologian Owen Strachan has a new podcast episode about Should Women Wear Tight Leggings? A Biblical Approach to the Beauty of Modesty.

Michael F. Bird @mbird12

First they came for women’s leggings and I didn’t speak up. Then they came for women’s yoga pants and I didn’t speak up. Then they came for women’s bike pants and I still didn’t speak up. Then they came for my budgie smugglers and there was no one left to speak up.

I hate picking on Owen, he’s a fellow short-guy in Christian theology, however, when it comes to advocating weird Christian patriarchy, he’s the gift that keeps on giving. You can listen to his podcast, it is predictable, patriarchal, and kind of cringy. I find it amazing that he is able to speak on this for over an hour! And what is his deal with leggings? To be fair, not everything he says is untrue or unhelpful. I agree that our culture sexualizes everything including our sense of dress for women and men which we should be conscious of.

But I feel like I need to point out a few things when it comes to modesty.

To begin with, when it comes to biblical exhortations to modesty, the focus is not on flaunting flesh, but on excessive displays of glamour and bling. Note Paul’s words:

I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument;  also that the women should dress themselves modestly and decently in suitable clothing, not with their hair braided, or with gold, pearls, or expensive clothes, but with good works, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God (1 Tim 2.8-10).

So the admonitions towards modesty are not primarily about plunging necklines, but how much your necklace is worth! But let us grant that modesty might include something about how one dresses with respect to showing one’s sexual availability. Be that as it may, let me add some things.

Note, what counts as immodest dress varies from culture to culture. What is considered inappropriate in Louisville, Kentucky might not be the same as what is considered immodest in rural Italy or the highlands of Papua New Guinea. In some places bare-breasted is fine, but wearing jeans can evoke weird sideways glances. Hey, don’t throw stones at me, talk to the anthropologists. Different cultures conceive of modesty for men and women differently.

Finally, modesty is not just for women, it is also for men. Let me relate to you an interesting story from the Australian Military that a former colleague shared with me.

Back in the 1990s Australian peacekeepers were deployed to the Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville due to a civil war. There was a small unit of men and women stationed on the island for usually six months at a time. It was also hot and humid on the island. Now, on one particularly scorching day, everyone was busy unloading supplies from a boat. The women were wearing sports bras and the guys were mostly shirtless. Later on, one of the young officers approached a female officer with a strange request. He told her that many of the men had been away from wives and girlfriends for months now, and they were getting a bit uncomfortable and feeling a bit shall we say amorous at the sight of all these women walking around in sports bras. So he asked if she could have a word to the girls to put some clothes on. To which the female officer smiled back and retorted, “Really? Well, the women haven’t been around their husbands and boyfriends for some months either, and we have to watch you buff blokes walk around shirtless every single damn day and no-one seems to care if we find that a turn on or not. So either put a shirt on or learn to control your sexual urges like everyone else has to.”

So modesty, yeah, that door swings both ways!