Will Christianity also have to come to terms with the veil? Young women and teenage girls claiming to be Christian wear the veil more and more and promote it on the TikTok social network. A sign of religiosity traditionally associated with Muslim women, to which European Christianity is not accustomed. Symbol of modesty, imitation of the practices of young Muslim women or marker of identity? Marianne spoke with sociologist Isabelle Jonveaux, author of God online. Religious Experiences and Practices on the Internet.
Marianne: Is it fair today to speak of a return to the veil among young Christian women? Isn’t it rather a phenomenon specific to social networks?
Isabelle Jonveaux: I do think that it is above all a phenomenon that is developing on and for social networks. From what I have observed, it is also a phenomenon specific to TikTok. I think it is important to note that there has been no survey to know exactly the sociological profile of these young girls: they are certainly French-speaking, but some may be Orthodox, a community in which it is more current to wear the veil, or young Christians who live in countries steeped in Muslim culture, where the veil is more present, as in Lebanon for example. It is absolutely necessary to take into account the cultural context in which these young women evolve.
For the French women affected by this veiling, are we facing a truly religious or identity phenomenon?
I note that the question of identity is increasingly present in our society. Some actually speak of an identity Catholicism, which goes hand in hand with this need to assert one’s identity on social networks, whatever it may be. It is a trend linked to the return of religion, which finds a whole new grammar on social networks. The fact of being interested in the veil is also because there is, in Western European societies, a certain competition between religions, the most visible being the Muslim religion.
@mny.emmx the feeling only>>> #tiktokchristian#christian#fyp♬ original sound –
But what is TikTok doing in there?
There is a synergy between this identity Catholicism and the way TikTok works. For these new influencers, it is necessary to find points of differentiation to be able to acquire more audience than such or such other influencer. We will take whatever is to be taken. One can legitimately wonder to what extent these young girls are really aware of what they are doing, to what extent all of this is consistent with their real and daily relationship to religion.
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But what we observe, TikTok or not, is the return of a form of asceticism – forms of spirituality that appeal to the body. While Catholicism has abandoned all practices where the body was involved, such as veiling or fasting for example, we see these bodily signs returning. In Île-de-France, for example, it is increasingly common to see Christians receiving communion on their knees. And these forms of asceticism that I have been able to study are much stricter than before – for fasting for example, some Christians will choose to eat only liquids.
“There are areas of competition in the religious domain. Islam has a form of influence that can push young women to wear this type of sign to assert certain values, such as modesty. »
But is there a command in the Bible for women to veil themselves?
There is the first epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, chapter XI verse 5: Any woman who prays or prophesies without having her head covered puts her head to shame: it is exactly as if she were shaved. But apart from this passage, I know of no other. As the theologians themselves say, the Bible is steeped in the cultures of the time and takes on different levels of reading; the Catholic Church has never required women to cover their heads. These young girls wear the veil as Muslim women would, whereas in Catholicism, there is rather a notion of respect for the place that is the church. Men uncover their heads if they wear a hat, out of respect, and women can cover their heads.
Note however that there is a passage from the Old Testament where a man covers his face: Moses, when he is in the presence of God.
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So there is competition between Islam and Christianity?
Yes, there are areas of competition in the religious domain. Islam has a form of influence that can push young women to wear this type of sign to assert certain values, such as modesty.
Are these young women ultimately seeking to practice a religion in a stricter, more framed way than their parents?
In France, particularly in the Paris region, Versailles or Lyon, there is a tendency for Catholicism to move towards a more marked conservatism. This Catholicism will reaffirm more traditionalist, more conservative practices. It is a reaction to the very significant secularization of France and the loss of this Christian identity. Today, 50% of French people say they have no religion. It is this secularization which leads to a reinforcement of the most conservative fringe of Catholicism.
“The Church has always known how to seize the new means of communication which were conducive to the dissemination of its message. »
Social networks now play the role of proselytizing tool?
For some, of course. Previously, we knew that evangelicals were very present there. I think that if these young women, these religious influencers, also flourish on social networks, it is because today, young people attach themselves to a particular person; they no longer want institutional content, but to have someone they feel like they know, who will exude a sense of authenticity.
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Does the use of social networks change our relationship to religion?
On these new social networks, everyone has access to everything. We will be confronted with religious content without necessarily asking for it. As for believers, we observe more flexibility in what they are going to consult, the teachings they are going to listen to. Catholics may come across sermons from Protestant and Evangelical churches, for example. The offer is there for everyone, within everyone’s reach, so there is more flexibility to consult content that is not strictly related to my own religion.
And the Church seems to have adapted very well to social networks…
I have been working on the internet and religion for 15 years now. The Church has always known how to seize the new means of communication which were conducive to the dissemination of her message. Monasteries adopted the printing press early enough to distribute sermons; we see that television was used very early in France, especially by the Dominicans. The Church has never been behind on this.
Young veiled Christians on TikTok: “There is a return of a form of spirituality of the body”