Pastoral beards

When I was in Lutheran college two decades ago, goatees were becoming popular. None of your soul-patch goatees, just regular, cover-the main chin hair. Our choir director had a strict dress code for choir tours, including a “no-facial-hair-on-choir-tour” rule. That meant all the goatees had to go, for which almost everyone else was grateful. The males who wore them complained, especially when our director made an exception to a second-career choir member who had a well-groomed beard, and had had one for years. Call me biased, but the clean-shaven and the well-groomed men in our choir looked good when compared with the funny stubble one sees these days, especially on seminarians. It looks like the unchecked facial hair of the baseball players who do not shave during the post-season, so as not to break the luck. Then I think of how my choir director would be very sad if he could see how these soon-to-be pastors dressed and shaved. Appearance does not make the man, indeed; however, should not men who are or are preparing to stand “in the stead and by the command” of Christ now wish to groom with that in mind?

Bror @3 – I’m with your wife. I like the scruffy look, seems more masculine than the clean-shaven face. I say, “Let men be men.” They’re emasculated enough in our society. I would prefer that men don’t choose the Orthodox or Angry Whiskers look.

My wife determines my facial hair as well. I have a goatee, which I grew about 10 years or so ago and have kept since. I grown it fairly long, almost like the goat pharaoh, but also trimmed neat like the plain guru. However, my wife also likes the scruff , which generally means I shave on Sunday’s and trim the goatee back every few weeks at the same time.

Thanks for this. I almost spit my coffee out on my keyboard.
When I was in seminary, about 50% had beards. I thought they did it because it made them feel like the apostles. I encouraged them to wear tunics and sandals but there were no takers.

I think I want to get one of those retro-doily collars so I can grow out my hair and begin some new purpose-driven winter beard sculpting! Dude! That would be so awesome.

Been rocking the goatee since college and I have no plans to ever shave it off. Easy to maintain and it helps soften the baby face look. I will be the first to say, I am happy beards have come back into fashion. Kept properly trimmed, they give an air of dignity. Also, they are nice and warm in the winter months.

The history of clerical facial hair in the Church is really quite interesting, in fact, it became a mark of confession between the Eastern and Western Church where. In the East facial hair became mandatory, and, as far as I know, except for some exceptions in Western Rite type of Eastern Church expressions, it is still mandatory that members of their clergy must have a beard. In the West, just the opposite was true. Clean shaven was mandatory throughout the Middle Ages. You’ll note, for example, Martin Luther remained clean shaven throughout his entire life, except for that period of time when he was trying to do incognito after the Diet of Worms in 1521.

After Luther, however, Lutheran theologians generally sported beards, etc. Here, for example, is the great Martin Chemnitz, the prime mover behind the Book of Concord’s compilation.

http://cyberbrethren.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Chemnitz.jpg

I’m sorry, but the picture of the Hawg Preacher clearly depicts U2′s The Edge, not an actual Harley rider.

I do think the Anabaptist look is poised to go big soon. Personally, I’ve been thinking of shaving off my moustache due to my antipathy towards the English.

Also, that looks less like a “Puritan” and more like a 17th-Century French Cardinal. Just sayin’.

Anyhow, as my avatar here makes clear, I’ve been be-bearded since shortly before I became a dad. It started as winter laziness, and now my wife says she likes it, and I’m certain it would traumatize the kids (and possibly the wife) to see my naked chin. After all, they’ve never seen it in all their lives. Also, I remain lazy. The nice thing about a full beard is that (1) what there is to shave isn’t a lot (sorry, neckbeards remain a no), and (2) I can get away with shaving that once a week, on Sundays.

I think pastors ought to be some whaf well groomed and not look like a hobo. I’m okay with a little scruff or clean goatte or sole patch, but some are just unkempt and hideous. Unfortunately we live in a superficial culture where some will avoid such people.

I’m intimidated by my hairdresser. Every time I go, which is maybe a little less than twice a year, I suggest that maybe we could put a little red in, or more blond with highlights. And, every time she says, No, you’d never keep it up and only have long roots in the wrong color. She’s right of course, going only just a little less than twice a year would not be nearly enough to keep the roots in the right color. Still, I resent it when she just refuses with a kurt NO, and then trims my hair the way she always does. I’ve actually hated, all my life, to go get my hair cut/done. Hairdressers are the bain of my life. Still, ah, there was a time in my life when I lived in South Florida when I maintained quite a bit of red fairly well and I liked the lady at Jordan Marshes salon. The root thing got me there at least 4 or 5 times a year, but nothing lasts forever. Sigh. My over-spent youth.
Now as we all learned in “The Life of Brian,” a beard can be purchased, if one haggles properly. I think I’d just get a utiltarian face coverer for stonings and such like. Light, but of no particular color.

Random Lutheran @9- Right on! I find clean shaven men slightly odd looking.
Anyone else notice that the Perennial YOuth Pastor lokks just like one of the recurring Lutheran Satire charachters?

My husband is clean-shaven pastor because his facial hair grows in very patchy. He tried a mustache/goatee during 4th year of Seminary, and it looked OK, but he does look better without. I’ve always liked facial hair on men because my father always had at least a mustache after he and my mom were married, and he’s had a beard before and now regularly has a goatee. Nicely kept facial hair can look dignified.

“The Wartburg” really should be represented here, but, unsurprisingly, the Lutherans’ contribution to the game is overlooked again. Sigh.

Fr. Charles McClean (a septuagenarian Lutheran pastor) informed me that mustaches are against Canon Law. Either a full beard or clean-shaven, but no ‘staches. So, who wants to go on a mustached-Catholic-priest-hunt with me? We can tell on him to his bishop. All we need are some good walking shoes and Instagram.