Probably the best introduction to Greg Price's amazing new book on the headcovering issue, is the response of the brother to whom these letters were originally written (which we've added below, with emphases added).
Dear Rev. Price,
I must begin by thanking you for such a thorough study.
The headcovering text of I Cor. 11 contains many difficult points and while many of our church fathers have briefly touched on the issue of customary headcovering, I am not aware of any work that has treated the subject with such clarity and breadth as yours.
It is my opinion that your future book will become the definitive study on the subject.
I am not aware of any error or point of disagreement by which I could take issue. I further believe the work to be grounded in scripture, faithful to the text (especially your work in Greek), and faithful to the views of the most respected church fathers.
Most of all this work is extremely important. I know there are many others who believe headcovering to be a requirement in the modern church and regard those who fail to headcover as weak on the regulative principle of worship. This is an error in the Reformed community that needs correcting.
I want to especially thank you for helping me to see my own error, and by doing so in such a loving and biblical fashion. I look forward to our next conversation.
For the Cause of Reformation,
_______
The quote below, from, THE CUSTOMARY PRACTICE OF HEADCOVERINGS: AN EXEGETICAL/HISTORICAL STUDY OF 1 CORINTHIANS 11:2-16 PRESENTED IN A SERIES OF LETTERS by Greg Price, is also very instructive from an historical perspective, especialy for elders who have sworn to uphold the Westminster Standards.
When you use the words "leans toward a belief that the Westminster Assembly treated headcovering as a cultural practice" (bold added), it sounds a little tentative, as if there might be another position that has some degree of credibility. I would ask, Is there any other position that the Westminster divines might have embraced that you think has any plausibility in dealing with the complete omission of headcoverings in any section of the Standards that addresses regulated worship (whether The Westminster Confession of Faith, or The Directory For the Public Worship of God, or The Form of Presbyterial Church Government), or has any plausibility in dealing with the placement of 1 Corinthians 11:13,14 under the category of "circumstances common to human actions and societies" (Westminster Confession of Faith, 1:6)?
Ultimately, however (even with the strong and unified historical testimony on this point found in this book), the real strength of Greg Price's THE CUSTOMARY PRACTICE OF HEADCOVERINGS is in the unsurpassed exegetical work it contains on the headcoverings question. In short, this is a landmark study on headcoverings that should be read by all Christians who desire to worship God in faithfulness and according to His Word!
Thus, we send THE CUSTOMARY PRACTICE OF HEADCOVERINGS forth into the world with the prayer that our Lord will use it to reveal the truth on this subject to many, and that this truth will be used to bring about further biblical unity (Romans 15:6, Philippians 2:2, 2 Corinthians 13:11) in the church (at least on this point) and much declarative glory to our Lord.
THE CUSTOMARY PRACTICE OF HEADCOVERINGS BY GREG L. PRICE
To download a free copy of this book, available in multiple formats,
