East/West differences

[Monica4316]

Does anyone know, - when and why did the Western church decide that priests should shave, or cut their hair? In the East, it is a custom for priests to have longer hair and a beard. I tried looking for the answer but couldn’t find it. Just doing some research here… thanks!

 

[Apollos]

Does anyone know, - when and why did the Western church decide that priests should shave, or cut their hair? In the East, it is a custom for priests to have longer hair and a beard. I tried looking for the answer but couldn’t find it. Just doing some research here… thanks!

You mean tonsure?

 

[mjs1987]

Christians followed the Roman and Greek hairstyles in the early church. In the Middle Ages, you saw tonsures developed as a way of making the head like a crown. Many of the barbarian invaders though did not shave at all. The more Romanized tribes did adopt shorter hair but this wasnt always the case. Long hair and beards were a style all over the middle ages and Renaissance. Enlightenment thought turned against beards and long hair. Peter the Great of Russia even forcibly made some of the more stubborn nobles in Russia shave their beards and cut their hair. Long hair and beards was seen as backwards and barbaric, unbecoming of an enlightened leader. Hair styles are influenced mainly by culture. Some cultures like in the Eastern churches value longer hair and beards while in the western Roman church the preference is for shorter hair. There is no official church teaching on the hair style of clergy. Hair style is decided by the individual and culture.

 

[Dougieb88]

Monica,
I’ve been following a thread here about ‘steps to reunification’ or something to that affect. There are many Orthodox people posting.One of them might have an answer and if not it is a VERY interesting thread. I’m learning about things I had no idea even existed!!! Check it out.:yup:
Jennie