Definitions for clericalism
ˈklɛr ɪ kəˌlɪz əmcler·i·cal·ism

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. clericalismnoun

   a policy of supporting the influence and power of the clergy in secular or political matters

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. clericalismnoun

   political or secular power invested in members of the clergy.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Clericalism

   Clericalism is the application of the formal, church-based, leadership or opinion of ordained clergy in matters of either the Church or broader political and sociocultural import. Clericalism is usually, if not always, used in a pejorative sense.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. clericalism

   Clericalism is a policy or belief emphasizing the power and importance of religious institutions, particularly the clergy, and often advocating strong adherence to religious rules and doctrinal principles within socio-political contexts. At times, it can be associated with the belief in the superiority of the clergy over laypeople or the desire for a religious state. It may involve using religion for political or personal gain. Clericalism can appear in any religion but is often associated with Christianity, particularly the Roman Catholic Church. The term can be used in both positive and negative ways, depending on the perspective of the speaker. Critics argue that clericalism can lead to abuses of power and discourage lay participation, while proponents say it protects the authority and autonomy of religious institutions. In any case, it often implies a close intertwining of religious and secular authority.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Clericalismnoun

   an excessive devotion to the interests of the sacerdotal order; undue influence of the clergy; sacerdotalism

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Clericalism

   Clericalism is the application of the formal, church-based, leadership or opinion of ordained clergy in matters of either the church or broader political and sociocultural import. In a pejorative manner, "clericalism" is often used to denote an ecclesiolatry approach to issues beyond the church by either clergy or their supporters while the term has also been applied in a pejorative manner to describe the cronyism and cloistered political environs of the Church, mainly in reference to the Roman Catholic Church. The phenomenon of clericalism is not restricted to the ordained, as it occurs in purely secular guilds, such as academia, the legal and medical establishments, and the public-safety clergy:the police and military. Outside of Catholicism, clericalism is used to denote the divisions between ordained clergy and lay leaders in some churches while the older meaning of the term—an application of church-based theory or thought to secular issues—seems rather lost in most current uses of the term. In the aforementioned use of the term, it is important to discern the difference between a belief in a separation of church and state—which is not truly involving of clericalism—and the belief that church leadership should not be an internal and cloistered body that answers only to itself or that such leaders should not act as a powerful force in matters beyond the internal concerns of their church. Much debate in recent years over the sexual-abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church has brought about charges of "clericalism" in the sense of bishops and other leaders covering up the misactions of clergy under their leadership. In this application of the term, clericalism has come to imply a division between ordained church leaders—that such leaders have an exclusive society unto themselves—and the lay followers.

Matched Categories

1. • Policy

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Anagrams for clericalism »

1. milliarcsec

How to pronounce clericalism?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

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   Daniel

   British

   Libby

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   Mia

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   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

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   Indian

   Priya

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   Neerja

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   Zira

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   Oliver

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   Wendy

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   Fred

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   Tessa

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How to say clericalism in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of clericalism in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of clericalism in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of clericalism in a Sentence

1. Justin Driscoll:

   I think Pope Francis is leading us in helping us to recognize some of the serious weaknesses around clericalism.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=clericalism
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Clericalism
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clericalism
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clericalism
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=clericalism
7. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=clericalism