Principles and Methods

“Naomi instructed Ruth to keep this in mind when she presented herself to Boaz: ‘Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor . . . (Ruth 3:3). The point being made here is a very simple one. The Bible reflects what we all know to be true — as long as we are not in a debate over school clothing — in our everyday experience. Some clothes are nicer than others. According to the occasion, some are better or more appropriate than others. Consequently, for a Christian, a straightforward relativism on the clothing issue is impossible. Now an objection may come back at this point, which is that the Bible doesn’t tell us what these choice clothes actually looked like. And if our of our eleventh grade girls showed up in Ruth’s ‘best garment,’ she would undoubtedly be sent home for her outlandish behavior . . . It is granted that cultures vary and that good clothes in one culture will not necessarily be considered good clothes in another. We are not arguing that we should find out what the apostles wore and then make our kids wear that to school. We are after the principle, not the method” (The Paideia of God, pp. 42-43).