Voices: ‘Modest is Hottest’ turns up the wrong burner

Controversy erupted when Matthew West, a musical artist performing at the 2021 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, performed a song called “Modest is Hottest.” West followed this performance by releasing a music video just a few days later.

The title of his song picks up on a slogan popular when I was in high school a decade ago. “Modest is hottest” was a popular evangelical slogan directed at girls and young women encouraging them to dress “modestly.” West’s song is sung from the perspective of a father encouraging his daughters to do the same.

Many people have found West’s song and the sentiment it expresses to be deeply problematic, and I share this opinion. I want to explain why evangelical discussions of “modesty” often are flawed, misogynistic and not truly rooted in biblical teaching.

1 Timothy 2:9

The go-to biblical passage for Christians when we discuss “modesty” is 1 Timothy 2:9, which reads, “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive apparel” (NASB). But this verse is not talking about sexually provocative clothing.

The specific Greek word behind the English translation of “modestly” is aidos, which standard Greek-English lexicons define as “the opposite of considering or treating something in a common or ordinary manner.” The word aidosis not inherently sexual.

Furthermore, this passage contrasts “modesty” not with sexual provocation, but with “braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive apparel.” Elaborate hairstyles, jewelry and fancy clothes were the hallmarks of wealthy women and served as status symbols. While there also did exist some stereotypes that wealthy, high-class women were promiscuous, nothing in preceding or following verses indicates sexual sin specifically is in focus.

Rather, 1 Timothy 2:9 is advocating for simplicity and humility over against obnoxious and prideful displays of wealth, especially in gathered worship. The problem in Timothy’s context was not women wearing spaghetti-strap shirts; the problem was some women showing off their wealth and status.

One does not even need to know Greek to understand this point. The English word “modesty” has a wide range of meanings, many of which are not sexual at all. “I make a modest living.” “I live in a modestly-sized house.” I could go on. The “modesty” of 1 Timothy 2:9 is not what modern readers often think it is.

By what standard?

There is no universally agreed-upon standard of “modesty” pertaining to sexually provocative clothing. To be sure, I think most Christians would agree people should not wear lingerie to church, but that is not a common phenomenon.

What is perfectly innocuous to one person—such as a one-piece bathing suit at the pool—is a “stumbling block” to someone else. Even the most stereotypically “modest” clothes still can be sexually arousing to some individuals. I know numerous women who have been told their clothes are a “stumbling block” to men, even when said clothing would have been considered totally innocent by most Christians.

So, what is the standard? It seems “modesty” is in the eye of the beholder, and it is wildly unfair to make people—particularly women—beholden to any given person’s random sexual hang-ups. Should a woman wearing a suit to church be expected to change clothes or leave just because one man present happens to be incredibly turned on by women in suits? No.

Moreover, the standards of modesty for women are far different than those for men, at least in evangelical circles. I cannot think of a single time I ever have heard of a man being asked to change his clothes to avoid “tempting” women, yet I cannot count the times I have heard of women being asked to do so.

Most egregiously, “modest is hottest” often transforms into victim-blaming in cases of sexual abuse. Women who have been sexually abused often face blame—despite being victims—because of what they were wearing at the time. Given the focus on sexual abuse in the SBC’s recent annual meeting, this is a major reason West’s song was so offensive to many.

The biblical response to lust

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presents a radically different understanding of the relationship between “modesty” and lust. Rather than place the onus of responsibility on the person being lusted after, Jesus places responsibility on the one doing the lusting.

Jesus says, “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Jesus then goes on to urge his listeners if they are struggling with lust, they ought to pluck out their own eyes and cut off their own hands (5:29-30).

While this exhortation clearly is an exaggeration, it shows Jesus takes this matter quite seriously. Relevant here, notice what Jesus does not say. Jesus does not say, “If you lust after a woman, you should go confront her about the way she’s dressed.” Responsibility for lust falls on the shoulders of the one doing the lusting.

For the modern Christian reading this, such guidance might look like this: If you are scrolling through your social media feed and notice a sister in Christ has posted a photo of herself and her friends at the beach, and she is wearing a swimsuit you find sexually alluring, just keep scrolling and put it out of your mind. Do not leave a comment or send her a private message chastising her for how “revealing” you think her swimsuit is.

That is just one hypothetical example of many I could give. The bottom line is people, especially women, should not be stuck in perpetual self-consciousness and shame over their clothing. While we should not tempt one another deliberately into sexual sin, we also should not uphold unbiblical and sexist standards of “modesty.”

Joshua Sharp is a writer and Bible teacher living in Waco. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Truett Theological Seminary. The views expressed are those solely of the author.