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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Religious Institutions and Roles

Clergy

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ˈklɜːdʒi/nounCore term

In religious studies & theology, clergy means: The people who are formally trained and appointed to perform religious duties and lead a community, such as priests, ministers, imams and rabbis, considered as a group.

In Turkish: din adamları, din görevlileri, ruhban sınıfı

How it is used

A collective noun, usually with a plural verb (the clergy were divided). A single person is a member of the clergy, a cleric or, in Christian contexts, a clergyman or clergywoman. The opposite is the laity (lay people). The adjective is clerical.

Example sentences

  1. In the Ottoman Empire the Muslim clergy were trained in the madrasas.

  2. The church allowed married clergy in some regions but not in others.

Common collocations

  • members of the clergy
  • the clergy and the laity
  • Muslim clergy
  • parish clergy
  • senior clergy
  • priestA person authorized to perform sacred rituals, such as offering sacrifices or administering sacraments, in traditions such as Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity and Hinduism.
  • imamIn Sunni Islam, a person who leads prayers in a mosque; in Shia Islam, also one of the divinely guided leaders from the Prophet's family, such as Ali and Husayn.
  • rabbiA Jewish religious teacher and scholar trained in Jewish law, who often leads a congregation, teaches and answers questions on religious practice.
  • ordainTo make someone a priest, minister, rabbi or other religious leader through an official ceremony.

More terms: Religious Institutions and Roles

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