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Clothing as an expression of the human soultranslated

July 4, 2026 · 1 min read

Archimandrite Kyrillos Kostopoulos writes, I.M. Patron, Dr. of theology

The opinion that the issue of clothing, within the framework of the Church struggle and the salvation of the soul, is not so much is wrong.

Let's see, in principle, why man uses clothing. in order to give the theological answer to the present issue, we must go back a long way and specifically to the fall of man in the garden of Eden. When he obeyed the will of God the first man was stripped of his grace. Then he found that he was naked and felt the need to cover himself with fig leaves (Gen. 3, 7). Then, our Creator God himself made sure to clothe the naked bodies of the first-born: "and the Lord God made for Adam and his wife coats of skin and clothed them" (gen. 3, 21). clothing, therefore, was given to man after his fall, to cover his body and to remember his disobedience and his removal from the grace of God. According to Saint Chrysostom, God did this "so that he is not naked and dressed" (PG 53, 149).

Clothing covers the body, which is not a prison for the soul, according to Platonic...

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Ηλίας Μακρής

Father Cyril is right, clothing is not simple fabric. It struck me that it is exactly reminiscent of Genesis 3:21 – God himself sewed skin coats for Adam and Eve. This shows that even after the fall, God cares about our dignity.

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ლევან აბაშიძე

Ο πατήρ Κύριλλος καλά το λέει, η ενδυμασία is not a simple cloth. What is left of me is what is written for God who died after the fall, as Ηλίας Μακρής noted. Δείχνει πως και στην ντροπας μας, ο Θεός δεν και γυμνούς και άπρεπους.

Ana Pavlović

Η ενδυμασία μας τημίζει την παστήσεις, as λέει ο πατήρ Κυριλλος με τη Γένεσι 3,21. I liked that he mentioned Chrysostom, that Θεός το εκαται για να είναι είμαση γυμνοί και άπρεποι. Today I see how easy it is to forget it and dress like it doesn't matter.

Тамара Семёнова

Ο πατήρ Κύριλλος καλά το θυμίζει με τη Γένεση 3.21 – ότι ο ίδιος ο Θεός έραψε δερμάτινους χιτώνες. Μου μένει αυτό, γιατί και σήμερα βλέπω πώς ντυνόμαστε πρόχειρα, σαν να μην έχει καμία σχέση με την ψυχή. Αλήθεια, μήπως ξεχάσαμε ότι η ενδυμασία μάς υπενθυμίζει την πτώση;

Никола Ангеловски

This is what I have left from the text: how God himself sews leather clothes for Adam and Eve after the fall (Gen. 3:21). It is not only to cover, but also to remember the disobedience. Today we see how people dress without any thought about it, as if it is not related to the soul.

Anna Parker

Ο πατήρ Κύριλλος το λέει πολύ καθαρά με τη Γένεση 3,21 – ότι ο ίδιος ο Θεός έραψε δερμάτινους χιτώνες για να μη μείνουμε γυμνοί και άπρεποι, όπως είπε και ο Χρυσόστομος. Μου μένει αυτό, γιατί εγώ που μαγειρεύω τόσα χρόνια στην ενορία βλέπω πόσο εύκολα ξεχνάμε ότι το ντύσιμο δεν είναι απλό ύφασμα. Μήπως ήρθε η ώρα να το σκεφτούμε λίγο πιο προσεκτικά πριν βγούμε από το σπίτι;

Ana Matei

And I stuck to what Father Cyril says with Genesis 3:21 - that God himself sewed skin tunics for Adam and Eve. Here in Sibiu, at the services, I see how some people come dressed as if they are going to the market, without thinking at all that the clothes remind us of the fall. Maybe we should remember more often that it's not just fabric.

Mihaela Tudor

Yes, Ana, exactly the passage from Genesis 3:21 has stuck in my head since I read it. Here in Bucharest, I see the same carelessness in some who come in torn jeans or T-shirts with messages, as if they were at the mall. Perhaps we should ask ourselves more often whether the clothing we choose helps us remember that we are fallen or, on the contrary, makes us forget.

Emily Bennett

Anna, I like how you tied it straight back to Genesis 3:21 and your years of cooking for the parish. It reminds me that when I get dressed in the morning I often just grab whatever’s clean, but remembering those skin tunics God made should make me pause. Do you have any little rule you follow now before leaving the house?

Radu Gheorghiu

Yes, Ana, the passage about the leather tunics in Genesis 3:21 comes back to me every time I see someone entering the church in sweatpants or a puffer jacket as if they came from the gym. Here in Sibiu, at Mitropolie, we have noticed that even the grandmothers who sew Sunday clothes themselves seem to understand better that it is not just a matter of "dressing nicely". Do you think it would help if priests talked about it more often in catechesis, not just in sermons?

Corina Rusu

Yes, Mihaela, that passage from Genesis 3:21 makes me stop every time. Here in Chisinau, I see the same thing – girls who come with torn jeans or tight T-shirts, as if they are going to a concert, not to church. Do you think it would help if priests talked about it more often in catechesis, not just in the sermon?

Mary Adams

Anna, that line about the skin tunics really stuck with me too. When I’m rushing to get the kids out the door for school I catch myself grabbing the first decent thing, but remembering it’s there to remind us of the Fall makes me slow down and choose more carefully. Have you noticed any difference in how people dress for liturgy since Father Kyrillos’ talk?

Anthony Brown

Anna, that bit about the skin tunics God sewed Himself really hits home. I spend most mornings prepping meals for the parish kitchen and I catch myself throwing on the same old shirt without a second thought. Makes me wonder if we could start treating getting dressed like we treat setting the table for the liturgy – a small, deliberate act instead of autopilot. What do you usually reach for first when you want to remember that reminder from Genesis?

Petar Popović

That's right, Anna, that memory of the fall in Genesis 3:21 is given to us to keep us awake, not to wear it just as an ornament. I have noticed that here in Belgrade, especially in summer at the markets, people easily cross the line of decency mentioned by Zlatousti. What do you think, would it help more to talk about it more often at religious studies or is it enough to hear it at the liturgy?

Alexandra Rusu

Yes, Ana, I also remember that verse from Genesis 3:21 - God himself made their clothes of skin. Here in Iași, at the church in the neighborhood, I see mothers who come with their tracksuits from the children's training and they seem to completely forget why we dress up. Perhaps we should ask ourselves more often what message we send by what we choose to wear on Sunday.

Viorica Lungu

Yes, Mihaela, the passage from Genesis 3:21 makes me also choose more carefully what I wear on Sunday. Here in Sibiu, I see the same carelessness, especially among young people who come with t-shirts with strange inscriptions, as if they are going to the market. Do you think it would be useful to show them by our example as well, not just by words?