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Fingers in Pagan history

Rings in Christian history

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Origins of the wedding ring

Jewelry in the Mennonite Church. Like the early Methodists, the Mennonites have maintained historically a strong stand against the wearing of jewelry, including the wedding ring. In his book Mennonite Attire Through Four Centuries, Melvin Gingerich noted that "at least thirty-nine conference resolutions against wearing of jewelry were passed in the years 1864-1949, half of which came after 1918. The articles of jewelry to be avoided included "wedding rings, gold rings, pearls, bracelets, broaches, pins, necklaces, and engagement rings. In some instances an attempt was made to distinguish between the ornamental and the utilitarian [jewelry], only the former being prohibited.

Gingerich admitted that it has not been easy for the Mennonite Church to enforce her policy against jewelry, especially regarding the wedding ring. He writes: "Perhaps the most difficult struggle in enforcing the above regulations has to do with the wedding ring. . . . As long as the (old) Mennonites remained a rural people and lived in almost solid communities, there was not much need for wives to declare their marital status to the public. But when men began to enter the professions and move to the cities away from their solid communities, often the couples became convinced that the use of the wedding band both as a symbol and as a protective device was essential.

The wearing of the wedding ring among the Mennonities has accelerated since World War II, according to Gingerich. "Since World War II the increasing urbanization of Mennonites has made it more difficult for them to maintain their distinctive costumes, including the practice of not wearing wedding rings, and as a result in many congregations the practice of wearing it is now common, not only for wives but also for husbands.

Historically we have found that the acceptance of the wedding ring has opened the door for the use of all kinds of jewelry. Gingerich acknowledges this trend in his own Mennonite church: "Along with this [wedding ring] has come an increasing use of other forms of jewelry."58 Recognizing the implication of this trend for the Mennonite Church, Gingerich urges his church to continue to stress the importance of bringing the whole Christian life "under the scrutiny of the New Testament standards relating to humility, stewardship, modesty, and simplicity