Jeans at Church: Why Do We Dress up for Church and Should We?

This article isn’t necessarily about popular culture, but it is about something that I’m more well-versed in: church culture. Individual church’s rituals, community and beliefs vary vastly even in the same denomination. One belief that varies is the topic of church clothes. In most of the churches I’ve been to, dressing up for the church service is deeply embedded into the culture. Recently I was sitting in a pew in College View Church and I found myself asking, why? Why do we dress up for church? 

I’ve asked this question before, as I’m sure many people have. When I asked it, though, I was a kid. I used to bother my mother. Why exactly did I have to put on itchy tights and curl my hair? My brothers used to complain about the gel in their hair and their uncomfortable, shiny, black dress shoes. I thought they had it easier, though, because they got to wear dress pants.

Somewhere along the way, I simply stopped asking why and accepted that this is just the way church operates. But now, since the question occurred to me again, I took the time to do some research and came upon the book “Pagan Christianity.” This book addresses many pagan practices that have become incorporated into Christian churches. It discusses everything from church architecture to the order of worship services to church clothes. While I do not agree with everything in the book, it has a lot of interesting information, and it sparked several new questions and ideas for me.

In the section about dressing up for church, I discovered that the practice is actually fairly recent, becoming widespread in the mid-nineteenth century. Before this, dressing up was only for wealthy people because common people had very few clothes. Dress was and is a means of distinguishing social class, and for centuries, certain countries banned people from wearing the clothing of the upper classes. Things rapidly changed during the industrial revolution and the creation of the middle class. The advancements in manufacturing allowed the middle class to buy clothes to distinguish themselves from the lower class. Some Christians spoke against costly clothing, but the trend caught on. After that, preachers began writing on the positive aspects of dressing up. One minister in Connecticut, Horace Bushnell, argued that sophistication and refinement were characteristics of God and by dressing up, Christians were modeling that.

Authors Frank Viola and George Barna point out several issues with this practice. The first being that Christians give the impression of “hiding their real selves” and putting on an image. It makes church feel insincere, like a play. It doesn’t allow for real issues or authenticity to show. Viola and Barna also write that by dressing up, churchgoers have the illusion that they are good or winning God’s favor. God really does not care what people wear to church. I think that He is just happy when people take time to be with Him. Another potential issue is that dress can bring social hierarchy into the church and make some people feel unwelcome or like outsiders.

Do I think this is a salvational issue? No. However, I think it is important that people and churches do not follow tradition blindly. The impression that the church gives to people matters. Non-biblical practices should not turn people away from Christ.

Sierra Lastine is a sophomore

English literature major from

Grand Junction, Colo.