clerics
Ordained spiritual guides
Clerics are members of the clergy—priests, ministers, rabbis, imams, or other religious officials.
The term covers religious leaders across faiths: Several clerics spoke at the interfaith gathering.
In fantasy games and fiction, a cleric is a character class that wields divine magic and often serves as a healer: Our party needs a cleric.
Formal worship structure
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- sacramentSacred ritual conveying grace
- massQuantity of matter
- sermonClergy's worship address
benediction · communion · ordination · procession · vestments · altar · censer · incense
Trust without proof
- devotionDeep, loyal commitment
- pietySincere religious devotion
- sanctityQuality of being inviolable
- holinessSacred spiritual purity
divinity · salvation · grace · providence · reverence · veneration · worship · sacred
Bishop's territorial jurisdiction
- parishLocal church community
- bishopricBishop's jurisdictional district
- papacyPope's office and authority
- abbeyMonastic house of worship
monastery · convent · synod · conclave · congregation · episcopate · hierarchy · curia
One who advises
- confessorPriest receiving admissions
- spiritual directorReligious life advisor
- guideLeader or instruction book
- mentorTrusted wisdom-giving advisor
mediator · intercessor · advocate · elder · preceptor · almoner · missionary · evangelist
Study of the divine
- scriptureSacred religious writings
- exegesisCritical textual interpretation
- hermeneuticsStudy of interpretation methods
- seminaryClergy training college
doctrine · dogma · canon · scholasticism · catechism · homiletics · apologetics · ecclesiastical
liturgy
Formal worship structure
sermon · benediction · communion · ordination · procession · vestments · altar · censer · incense · reliquary
faith
Trust without proof
holiness · divinity · salvation · grace · providence · reverence · veneration · worship · sacred · blessing
diocese
Bishop's territorial jurisdiction
- parishLocal church community
- bishopricBishop's jurisdictional district
- papacyPope's office and authority
abbey · monastery · convent · synod · conclave · congregation · episcopate · hierarchy · curia · ecclesiastical
counselor
One who advises
- confessorPriest receiving admissions
- spiritual directorReligious life advisor
- guideLeader or instruction book
mentor · mediator · intercessor · advocate · elder · preceptor · almoner · missionary · evangelist · confidant
theology
Study of the divine
- scriptureSacred religious writings
- exegesisCritical textual interpretation
- hermeneuticsStudy of interpretation methods
seminary · doctrine · dogma · canon · scholasticism · catechism · homiletics · apologetics · ecclesiastical · ethics
- medieval educationliberal arts, trivium, scriptorium, copying, religious instruction
- fantasywizard, witch, magic, dragon, elf
- believersbeliever, believers, adherent, devotee, theist
- notable peoplepoliticians, artists, leaders, writers, scientists
- Catholic figurescardinals, archbishops, abbots, bishops, friars
- clergypriest, bishop, pope, nun, monk
clericslaity
Non-ordained church members
laypeople · laypersons · laymen · laywomen · parishioners
clericsanticlerical
Opposed to church influence
secularists · atheists · freethinkers · nonbelievers · heretics
- clerical workRoutine office duties
- clerical errorOffice documentation mistake
- clerical collarClergy's stiff white neckwear
- clerical dutiesOffice support work
- clerical abuseWrongdoing by religious officials
- clerical workerOffice support staff
clerical, cleric, nonclerical, clericalism, anticlerical, anticlericalism