Orthodox beard: why do priests wear beards? Why does a priest need a beard and long hair?

Sonya

Helg Zamitter

ella flaksmann

Vl@d

Personal Account Removed

Why do Orthodox priests wear long hair? Please answer seriously what you think (but without insults)

someone from the crowd

Figova's Witness

Poacher

Serge…

Verikostafrullahanistan$ky

Denis Nikiforov

Alex Hristov

Yitzhak Kogan

Truth in Orthodoxy!

Sizova Rita

Video: The priest has long hair. Priest Maxim Kaskun

Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a husband grows his hair, it is a dishonor for him. But if a wife grows her hair, it is an honor for her, since the hair was given to her instead of a veil. And if anyone wanted to argue, then we do not have such a custom, nor the Church of God.

Probably to cover your face as carefully as possible. After all, a young shaven priest may seem very attractive to the female sex. And Christ also walked like this. 🙂

In imitation of Christ

Answers:

hair with energy beard - with birth - GOD + ROD = beard

For greater respectability. Which church, Pepper? Orthodox, or what? :)))

This is an ancient tradition of the Church. Leviticus 19:27 says: “You shall not shave your head round or spoil the edges of your beard.”

This is an ancient sign of dedicating oneself to serving God. Even in the Old Testament there were Jesses who dedicated themselves to God for several years and did not cut their beards or hair. Nowadays, not all priests and bishops wear long hair. This is especially true for monastics.

In the Bible in the book of Leviticus, priests are directly instructed not to cut their beards." Leviticus 19:27 "Do not cut your head round, and do not spoil the edges of your beard. “I don’t know about the Slavs.

It’s interesting how the Bible says whether a man should wear long hair. In 1 Corinthians 11:!4 “...if a man lets his hair grow, it is a disgrace to him.” And in ancient Israel there were Nazirites who did not cut their hair, but they did not drink alcoholic beverages, they were not even allowed to eat grapes, because from they made wine for it. The verse from Leviticus 19:27 in another translation sounds like “do not cut your temples short”... most likely it was impossible to cut your hair very short and your beard should be neatly trimmed.

Sloppiness, fleas, lice

It doesn’t depend on whether you are a Priest or not, hair is given to a person for a reason, if it grows, it means it for a reason! When a person Evolves to a sufficient degree, then hair may not grow anywhere! Human teeth are not designed to chew meat, but we eat and chew, and then we put fillings and crowns.

They are trying to become hippie little by little. :)

Answers:

Wearing long hair is a disgrace for a man. The Orthodox cover this burden with the law for the Levites and Nazarenes, but by and large they do not fulfill it. For example, this law states that a Levite should not even be in the same room with the deceased - he will be unclean. And they even perform funeral services and touch them during the “sealing” process, and this is not the only violation of the law. So dressing up in women's clothing (very different from the clothes of the same Levites) and wearing long women's hairstyles is just a cover - a candy wrapper, but everything in it is as written in Matthew 23:27-28

A beard is a sign of a pious person. From time immemorial, men have worn beards.

they look like gnomes...

Why do you need this, you are in a totalitarian antisocial sect. Why do you insult representatives of a Religion that is foreign to you? Why sow interreligious discord? I somehow don’t care what kind and where you wear your hair.

1. The beard is an antenna for communication with God. And long hair is to maintain balance, so that the said beard does not pull the entire carcass forward.2. A beard makes a person look older, and therefore smarter. The same applies to carcass weight. Who will listen to the lousy holy father?

Hmmm. There is no Orthodox image maker on them. The trendsetter is also a former carpenter, albeit a Jew :)

This is really an ambush. . several times a year. . People deceived by priests mistake me for the same deceiver. . An extremely uncomfortable situation arises. . The scoundrels even ruined his beard...

What does the priests have to do with it and what does the masquerade have to do with it... God created this way...that a mature man grows a beard. . and what Tvlrets intended is good and harmony... and man remakes everything in his own way, resists God... so excuse me that Orthodox priests do not resist God...

27 Do not shave your head round, and do not spoil the edges of your beard. 28 For the sake of the dead, do not make cuts on your body and do not write on yourself. I am the Lord. (Lev. 19:27,28)4 And Hanon took David's servants, and shaved each of them half the beard, and cut off their clothes in half, even to the loins, and sent them away.5 When they told David about this, he sent to meet them, since they were very dishonored. And the king ordered to say to them: stay in Jericho until your beards grow, and [then] return. (2 Samuel 10:4,5) 17 And he opened his whole heart to her, and said to her: no razor touched my head, for I am a Nazarite of God from my mother’s womb; but if you shave me, my strength will depart from me; I will become weak and be like other people. (Judges 16:17)

1 Corinthians 11:14: “Does not nature itself teach you that if a man grows his hair long, it is a disgrace to him.”

in the nomocanon: “he who puts a cut on his beard and mustache will be cursed and burn in hell “short hair is a symbol of humility and subordination...it’s not for nothing that slaves were shaved bald..a shaved head is a complete renunciation from the world...

A person’s hair is an antenna that connects us with the cosmos and accumulates information, both positive and negative, so women are advised to cover their heads with a headscarf, but believers prefer not to shave, but Buddhists, on the contrary.

are you bald?

the essence is the same as in S.I. Orthodox Christians wear beards and long hair - so that everyone can see and understand who it is - just as you can see from afar that witnesses I. are walking - in a suit with a tie and a daddy or briefcase, some also think this masquerade

Answers:

This is the custom.

For visual identification, here...

Civilization.

some are just storytellers, while others even have a beard!))))))

Should they be different somehow?

long hair gets in the way on the guillotine.

It's stile, baby...

I don’t understand it myself. It seems like the Bible says that men need to cut their hair. Who knows why.)

Yes, because they are so unpleasant to each other that they even remove the similarities.

1 Corinthians 11:14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man grows his hair long, it is a disgrace to him?

does it matter what people do?? In the New Testament, Jesus did not command the disciples, followers, and ministers to dress properly... Christians...it is generally said that if a man grows his hair long, he shames his head.... As for the ministers of religious cults, perhaps they dug up something in the Old Testament, which no longer works as the New Testament was given...Jesus and his disciples usually dressed decently and as was customary among the people...the first Christians in the First Apostolic Church also dressed this way...then the invention of people began...

...but everyone wears skirts

Answers:

At the Liturgy, the priest is the “image of Christ”, so they try to correspond….

Mikhail Belostotsky

Suffering

poison ivy

Raspberry Rolex

Standartenführer Stirlitz

Midved the Blessed

The Osiris

Ara Araratyan

I am

Shimon

Inna Allyanova

Dmitry Prikhodko

pontifex minimus

samba das

Why in many religions do priests wear beards and long hair on their heads?

Creation

Lillian

Jasper

Bastet

Why do priests have beards?

heureux

Pokemon

Answers:

Tanya Sarbash(Ostrivnaya)

Having a beard is not a law. This is the church tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church. The custom of Orthodox priests wearing beards dates back to the Old Testament tradition. The Bible says this definitely: “And the Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and tell them... They must not shave their heads or trim the edges of their beard” (Lev. 21:1, 5). It was forbidden not only to shave, but to trim the beard, as this was part of pagan mourning rites.

Listopadnichek

Tradition. In the image and likeness of the source. As it is created, so it is worn.

Marina V

The priests observe the Biblical institution: the Old Testament. Third book of Moses. Leviticus. “Do not cut your head round, and do not spoil the edges of your beard. "(Lev. 19, 27)

TAL

not all young priests often do not have a beard

Vadim Mansurov

Answers:

Mikhail Morozov

Pastor Alexander Lapochenko

At the Liturgy, the priest symbolizes Christ, so they try to match the image.

Tatyana \ Drana cat

trying to be like Christ at least outwardly

Midved the Blessed

I think that this is ordinary laziness according to the canons.

Vishnujana dasa

save money on the hairdresser

An Kar

Perhaps a tradition that goes back to the days when everyone wore beards and mustaches.

Loki Viking 1964

This is simply so that the mentally poor sheep of the flock of the Lord do not see their cunning and contented faces.

Oleg Nagorny

Well, some people like this tradition, because it distils, recalling the peculiar “Nazarite” priestly service... However, not all:

Andrey Tereshchenko

This is a BYZANTINE TRADITION. Catholics and Protestants don’t grow beards and Jesus has nothing to do with it, it’s strange that some “pastor” doesn’t know this

Verikostafrullahanistan$ky

Bogomaz

Andrey 8888888

God does not see people - he sees the light of people's souls... and what kind of beard is it - shaved or green, to be honest with his beard...

Olga Ruzavina

it's more glamorous

Denis Litvinov

you can’t force yourself to shave = an unpleasant thing and, in accordance with religion, they don’t force themselves = they don’t shave, but it’s easy to shorten their hair and many trim themselves without a hairdresser... Probably something like this...

Answers:

den!$

The tradition of wearing a beard goes back to Christ himself. There is a legend that the Lord was brought up in the Nazirite community - a branch of the Jewish religion. The Nazarenes were distinguished by the fact that they did not cut their hair, neither their beards nor their heads. This image was adopted by monastics in the first centuries of Christianity - in imitation of the Savior. Rus', when it adopted religion from Byzantium, adopted the church charter, originally written for monks. Along with the charter, the custom of not cutting hair came to us - at first only monastics followed this rule, then priests too. In almost all nations, a man without a beard was perceived as an immature youth. On the contrary, a man with a beard is a person who has life experience, which means he deserves respect and has authority. This, most likely, is the reason why our priests wear beards. A beard makes a clergyman stand out from other people. As a priest, I can say that wearing a beard and long hair causes certain inconveniences, but at the same time brings great benefits. Which one? You are always identified as a priest, they look at you as the Church of Christ. Realizing this, you try to behave in such a way that you do not disgrace the name of God with your behavior. But not all priests wear beards. If you see a priest without a beard, don't let it bother you. St. Nicholas, for example, was neatly tonsured, he even had a special gumenzo shaved on his head, which at that time was a sign of belonging to the priesthood.

Vladimir Kovalkov

save on soap

Answers:

Yulia Tarasenko

What happened before and what is now are two different things, the Nazarenes had long hair when they lived according to the Old Testament, they used to drink wine all the time, but now why is it a sin? Because earlier, firstly, wine was diluted several times with water, like 1/5, but I don’t remember exactly, secondly, they drank wine to disinfect their stomachs, and now to get drunk and be a drunken creature incapable of thinking and behaving normally. But as for a man’s long hair now, it’s definitely a shame. The Bible does not prohibit this, it only contains instructions and advice: “Everything is lawful for me, but not everything is beneficial.” So everyone chooses for themselves.

Linda 1

I guess not, since many priests have long hair

Birjuk

NO. What a stupid question.

DING

All priests and priests of Orthodox churches wear long hair.

his name is Legion

No. But at the same time, you cannot be like women - do a braid or ponytail.

drug drug

The Bible forbids. Isn’t it nature itself that teaches you that if a husband grows his hair, it is a dishonor for him,

Anton Kuropatov

Priests are allowed, they wear long hair and beards, like the Old Testament Nazirites.

Local Angel

Anastasia Belogortseva

no, clergy are prohibited from wearing short

Gendalf

only short skirts are not welcome….

I'm still Mikha

judging by the icon of Christ, this version has no meaning to live

Black Raven

It is forbidden to sin.

Andrew Kramer

Well, it’s like Jesus is depicted with long hair in icons. This question is just killing me. Jesus is an icon for believers, how can long hair be prohibited? Then the question is, and the church does not prohibit being bald. For some reason, no one asks this question. And what is the church, is this a law for you??? All churches are commercial organizations.

Lena

HAIR is an organ of perception and accumulation of subtle energies. The longer a person’s hair, the more spiritual power he receives, for this power nourishes all his bodies and shells. The Vedic scriptures say: “Cutting a man’s hair and shaving off his mustache and beard is the same as killing him.” But with special need and mastery of certain skills, a person can remove negative energy into his hair and cut it, thus freeing himself from the energies that interfere with his development - this is the meaning of the rite of “monastic vows.” The Slavs cut their children’s hair for the first time only when they reach the age of 7, and the cut hair is hidden under the ridge of the roof or matitsa (the main ceiling beam of the hut). If a child’s hair is cut before the age of 1, the development of his speech is suspended; if he is cut before the age of 7, the development of mental abilities slows down. A woman who has cut her hair is called karna (named after the goddess Karna, who is responsible for fulfilling the law of cause and effect) - that is, she is the one who was punished by Karna. Hence - “to rip off”. BEARD - hair on a man's face. Serves to accumulate vital and spiritual strength (“bo” - wealth, “roda” - belonging to a clan). In each varna they wear a beard in their own way: the witches do not cut their beard, but take care of it as the center of their spiritual power; knights wear short beards, as it is convenient for battle; Vesians wear full (large, but trimmed) beards as a sign of solidity, sedateness, and significance. Smerdas do not understand the true purpose of a beard and do not know how to use it, even if they grow it. Those who wanted to look like women began to shave.

Elena

The priests themselves sometimes wear long hair. But the Bible forbids this.

Answers:

Nadezhda Bogdanova

The fashion for beards and mustaches is especially developed these days. Facial hair is shaved, cut, styled, giving it a flawless look. But not always and not everyone is engaged in the design of facial hair.

Many people have their own idea of what a clergyman should look like. Most often, this image includes components such as:

Cassock to the floor;
Large cross on the neck;
Having a beard and long hair;
A book with prayers in hands.

For reference! The clergyman has many other items of clothing, for example, a belt, an orarion, a cassock, armbands, an epitrachelion, and a chasuble.

Because Since the article is about the presence of facial hair on priests, we will analyze this integral part of their appearance.

Some of those who often go to church know no more about the priest’s unshaven appearance than those people who have never been there. But nevertheless, it is simply impossible to imagine the priest without a beard. But not all of them grow the hair on their heads; some allow themselves to be cut.

In the history of the Orthodox faith, clergy were allowed not to shave their facial hair even during the decree banning beards. Based on this, the conclusion suggests itself that at no time were priests presented to the people without facial hair. The priest's beard has its roots in distant ancient civilizations.

Why do priests wear beards?

The presence of unshaven and untrimmed facial hair among clergy is a common thing for ordinary people. However, in the church there are employees without facial hair, but it is unlikely to be a priest.

Important! In the church you can meet young clergy without growing facial hair, but this is a temporary phenomenon and not a human privilege.

But where did the fashion for bearded priests come from? Or is this not due to fashion at all? The main assumptions on this matter are different, but interesting:

The main reason for the presence of facial hair among priests is compliance with the law of the Old Testament, which prohibits cutting the hair on the head and in any way changing the shape of the hair on the face;
Another common option is considered to be like Jesus;
Unshaven is a sign of standing out from the masses, so that ordinary people perceive the clergyman as something other than them and listen to him;
There is also a non-standard version: unshaven facial hair is a way of accumulating vital and spiritual energy.

Did you know before why priests wear beards?

YesNo

There is no specific answer to the question why priests wear beards. But it would still be logical to adhere to the prohibition of cutting hair on the head and face as prescribed in the Bible.

Is it forbidden for priests to shave their beards?

The beard of priests is one of the symbols of faith. The Orthodox beard was mentioned even in the Old Testament, but not just like that, but with the special instructions of God.

Every man is obliged to grow facial hair, as it is written in the Bible. The Lord ordered not to cut the hair on the head and not to trim the edges of the beard.

Attention! Women, in turn, were also forbidden to cut their hair.

This is due to the fact that every person should look the way he was created. Changing one's appearance is equivalent to failure to fulfill the will of God. People do not follow such an order, but among the priests it is considered a ban. The clergy, living according to Biblical laws, diligently follow what is written in the Bible. This is why they don't shave their beards.

Beards among priests are a common and commonplace phenomenon. Most people don't even think about the fact that priests have facial hair for a reason. What seems unreasonable to the average person actually turns out to be a whole story.

315 years ago, Peter the Great introduced a tax on beards, making an exception for the Church. Father Artemy explains why seminarians today are forced to shave, and is it true that conservative priests have longer beards than liberal ones

Peter I cuts the beards of the boyars. Artist D. Belyukin

— Why do Orthodox Christians wear beards?
- Remembering this decree of the All-Russian Emperor, who, thanks to his advisers, knew how to replenish the state treasury out of nothing, you and I must admit that the beard is the prerogative of not only the Orthodox world. But all the peoples of antiquity, as evidenced by archeology, painting and literature, saw the beard as an integral part of masculine dignity, obviously identifying it with the virtues of courage, wisdom, stature, and a strong male mind. The Middle Ages and modern times have largely subordinated the clothing and appearance of people to the European standard.

However, conservative views on this matter have always dominated within Russian Orthodoxy. And today, seeing a beard on the streets of the capital city, you can immediately guess that this is either an Orthodox Christian or a representative of some other traditional world religion, because both Jews and Muslims do not disdain beards.

But you and I, returning to the customs adopted by Orthodox Christians, will say that happiness is not in the beard. There is no need to grow a long beard of intelligence. And, of course, the moral dignity of a Christian does not in the least depend on how he feels about wearing a beard.

Let us make a reservation that for Orthodox clergy the presence of a beard is an integral requirement for their appearance, for everything in the life of pastors must be linked not only with two thousand years of Christian tradition, but also with several thousand years of biblical existence. Even in the Old Testament books of Moses, in particular in the book of Leviticus, we find a description of the appearance of the priests and an instruction not to damage the edges of one’s beard (Lev. 21:5).

No, of course, we will not argue that such ritual decrees are strictly obligatory for a modern priest. But there are subtle, almost imperceptible nuances that are perceived by the sensitive heart of the Orthodox people.

Our people, conservative and traditional, of course accept any priest. But he still notes to himself: oh, what a pity that the priest cut off his beard, leaving instead a rat’s tail a la Trotsky or like the scanty beard that belonged to the “all-Union goat,” as, if I’m not mistaken, Joseph Stalin called Kalinin.

Seeing a young priest with smoothly shaved cheeks, his beard well-groomed in a revolutionary manner, attentive people note that this is a priest of the “progressive” sense, not too concerned about joining the tradition...

However, these are just psychological observations, and I ask NS readers to take my words correctly. We are now talking more about aesthetics than about ethics, and in no way cast a shadow on those priests who are burdened by wearing a long beard.

— So is it true that they say that a long beard is a sign of a conservative priest, and a short one is a sign of a liberal one?

“With some stretch we can assume this, but let’s not give our observations the force of a rule.” The main thing, of course, is the quality of your thoughts, the way you think and live. But there is, of course, some hint of the essence of the matter in the features of appearance. You remember the saying of Father Pavel Florensky, who said that clothing, and therefore appearance, is a continuation of a person’s personality, and therefore the smallest details of our toilet, clothing, appearance, speak of a certain structure of the soul.

And if you are Sherlock Holmes, that is, a psychological and observant person, then, of course, when you meet a person “by his clothes,” you form a certain initial impression about him. Moreover, a priest, who is distinguished by his experience, has an internal right to his judgment, always being in the center of attention, under the crosshairs of dozens, and maybe hundreds of glances.

Therefore, any priest must be aware that all his tastes, preferences and habits related to appearance can always become food for intense thought. This is especially true of priests who appear on television.

— Why are seminarians forced to shave their beards?
- In order to distinguish this class from those who have already accepted holy orders. As soon as a seminarian is ordained a deacon, he begins to differ in appearance from his brothers. However, an exception, as I remember (I taught at Moscow theological schools for more than 10 years), was made for seminarians from the Old Believers. Respecting their conservatism and not wanting any of the dramas that took place under Peter the Great, they were allowed to wear black seminary jackets and at the same time wear their full beards.

A long, thick beard is an essential attribute of an Orthodox priest, as most Russians believe. Can you imagine a clean-shaven butt? Meanwhile, in some cases, priests do not wear their traditional beard.

Orthodox tradition

The custom of walking with long hair and facial hair came to Rus' along with the spread of Christianity.
The fact is that even the Old Testament Jews wore beards, following the instructions of the book of Leviticus: “Do not cut your head round, and do not spoil the edges of your beard” (chapter 19 verse 27). The holy apostles, rejecting many biblical traditions, adhered to the same views regarding shaving the beard. Jesus Christ himself, judging by iconography and sacred texts, wore long hair and facial hair.

The difference between Orthodox Christians and Catholics is also linked to this topic. It is known that the Romans traditionally shaved, but the Greeks did not. The Western clergy believed that the pastor had the right to decide for himself whether to wear a beard or not. The hierarchs of the Byzantine Church were categorical on this issue; they forbade all men (not just priests) to cut and shave their beards. After all, God himself created them this way.
Since Christianity came to Rus' from Constantinople, a corresponding tradition was established in our country. The Council of the Hundred Heads, held in Moscow in 1551, even prohibited funeral services for beardless dead people according to the canons of the Orthodox Church.

Now opinions among the clergy are divided. Conservative priests consider shaving a beard a sign of apostasy, while their more progressive colleagues do not see a direct connection between facial hair and a person’s spirituality. At the same time, they admit that although a beard is not a mandatory attribute of a priest, a stable stereotype has developed in the minds of Russians. The clean-shaven priest is perceived by parishioners with apprehension: why doesn’t he follow church traditions?

A beardless priest contradicts the established cultural paradigm and raises suspicions of a secret commitment to sectarianism, so clergy do not want to challenge public opinion with their appearance.

Russian Church Abroad

All of the above applies only to our country. The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCOR) is much more democratic on this issue. A religious organization operating in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, France, Germany and other countries where there are expat communities allows its employees to shave.

As you know, in the 60s of the twentieth century, America and Europe were swept by a wave of the hippie youth protest movement. Guys and men who declared “sex, drugs and rock and roll” as their values expressed their protest against the foundations of bourgeois society, including with their appearance. They wore beards.
Then the priests of the foreign Orthodox Church faced a problem: they began to be mistaken for hippies. This was unacceptable for two reasons:
Christian morality is incompatible with the ideology of this youth movement;
Police officers often mistook young priests for rebel protesters, and misunderstandings arose.

In such a situation, the leadership of the ROCOR decided that shaving the beard was acceptable, and it was better not to incite discord in society with one’s appearance. Nowadays, most employees of the foreign Orthodox Church also shave so that vigilant citizens and intelligence agencies do not confuse them with Muslims, taking them for possible terrorists.

Updaters

1917 was a turning point for our entire country; they also tried to reform the Orthodox Church. Renovationism arose - a movement for the democratization of Russian spiritual life and the modernization of parish management. Many religious leaders called on the clergy to abandon outdated rituals; they believed that the church should keep up with the times.

Emphasizing their reform ideals, the spiritual hierarchs of the Renovationists cut their hair short and carefully shaved their beards and mustaches. For example, Alexander Ivanovich Vvedensky (1889-1946) did not wear any facial hair. He headed the “Living Church,” as this religious movement was also called, from 1922 until his death.
However, the attempt to modernize Russian Orthodoxy did not find support among the majority of priests and flocks. Having lost the patronage of the Soviet government in the 30s of the 20th century, renovationism gradually faded away.

Doesn't grow naturally

Some men naturally have a beard and mustache that either does not grow at all, or individual pieces of hair break through the skin in places, which looks unsightly. Scientists identify four main reasons for this phenomenon:
hormonal imbalance, when the body does not produce enough testosterone;
lack of nutrients necessary for hair growth;
damage to hair follicles as a result of various skin diseases;
heredity, if one of the ancestors had the same feature.
Not having a beard is rare. As a rule, most men do not know this problem. Although among different nations the number of beardless representatives of the stronger sex varies.

The presence of minor health problems or hereditary characteristics are not an obstacle to accepting the priesthood. Although it’s not easy for such a priest. He needs to explain to management and parishioners that he is naturally beardless. It is not easy for every person to report his hormonal imbalance to everyone who is curious, to explain that he is not a sectarian or an apostate. Among such priests there are also spiritually strong people who have managed to overcome the stereotype established in society, but some beardless priests are forced to refuse service.

Seminarists

Students of theological seminaries who are preparing to become priests, as a rule, shave. That's how it is. Only after accepting the priesthood does a young man have the right to grow a long and thick beard. An exception is made only for Old Believers, out of respect for their traditions.

Seminarians are made clear that good facial hair is an attribute of the clergy, as is long hair. Students' hairstyles should be neat and not stand out from their peers. Although cutting your hair very short is also not allowed, in order to avoid resemblance to skinheads.

Needless to say, the presence or absence of a beard on a priest is both a religious-political and cultural-reformist issue.