A religious order is a lineage of
communities and
organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. It is usually composed of laypeople and, in some orders,
clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
. Such orders exist in many of the world's
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...
s.
Buddhism
In
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
societies, a religious order is one of the number of
monastic orders of monks and nuns, many of which follow a certain school of teaching—such as Thailand's
Dhammayuttika order, a monastic order founded by
King Mongkut
Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...
(Rama IV). A well-known
Chinese Buddhist order is the ancient
Shaolin order in Ch'an (
Zen) Buddhism; and in modern times, the Order of Hsu Yun.
Christianity
Catholic tradition
A Catholic religious institute is a society whose members (referred to as "
religious") pronounce vows that are accepted by a superior in the name of the Catholic Church, who wear a
religious habit and who live a life of brothers or sisters in common.
Catholic religious order
In the Catholic Church, a religious order is a community of consecrated life with members that profess solemn vows. They are classed as a type of religious institute.
Subcategories of religious orders are:
* canons regular (canons and cano ...
s and
congregations are their two historical categories. Religious institutes are distinct from
secular institutes, another kind of
institute of consecrated life
An institute of consecrated life is an association of faithful in the Catholic Church erected by canon law whose members profess the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience by vows or other sacred bonds. They are defined in the ...
, and from
lay ecclesial movements.
In the Catholic Church, members of religious institutes, unless they are also
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
s or
priests in
Holy Orders, are not
clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
but belong to the
laity
In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non- ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother.
In both religious and wider secular usage, a lay ...
. While the state of consecrated life is neither clerical nor lay, institutes themselves are classified as one or the other, a clerical institute being one that "by reason of the purpose or design intended by the founder or by virtue of legitimate tradition, is under the direction of clerics, assumes the exercise of sacred orders, and is recognized as such by the authority of the Church".
Well-known Roman Catholic religious institutes, not all of which were classified as "orders" rather than "congregations", include
Augustinians
Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–1 ...
,
Basilians,
Benedictines
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
,
Bethlehemites
Bethlehemites, or Bethlemites, is the name of five Catholic religious orders. Two of them were restored to existence in the 20th century. The other three are extinct.
12th-century order in Bethlehem and Italy
This order was founded in Bethlehem ...
,
Bridgettines,
Camaldolese,
Carmelites
, image =
, caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites
, abbreviation = OCarm
, formation = Late 12th century
, founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel
, founding_location = Mount C ...
,
Carthusians
The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order ha ...
,
Cistercians,
Conceptionists,
Crosiers,
Dominicans,
Franciscans
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
,
Hieronymites,
Jesuits
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders = ...
,
Minims,
Piarists,
Salesians,
Olivetans,
Theatines
The Theatines officially named the Congregation of Clerics Regular ( la, Ordo Clericorum Regularium), abreviated CR, is a Catholic order of clerics regular of Pontifical Right for men founded by Archbishop Gian Pietro Carafa in Sept. 14, 1524. I ...
,
Trappists
The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...
and the
Visitandines
, image = Salesas-escut.gif
, size = 175px
, abbreviation = V.S.M.
, nickname = Visitandines
, motto =
, formation =
, founder = Saint Bishop Francis de ...
.
Several religious orders evolved during the
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...
to incorporate a military mission became "religious
military orders", such as the
Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, the
Knights of the Order of the Temple and the
Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.
Non-monastic religious institutes typically have a motherhouse or generalate with jurisdiction over any number of dependent religious communities, whose members may be moved by their superior general to its other communities as the institute's needs require.
In accordance with the concept of independent communities in the
Rule of Saint Benedict, the
Benedictines
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
have autonomous abbeys (so-called "independent houses"). Their members profess "stability" to the abbeys where they make their
religious vows; hence their abbots or abbesses may not move them to other abbeys. An "independent house" may occasionally make a new foundation which remains a "dependent house" (identified by the name "priory") until it is granted independence by Rome and itself becomes an abbey. Each house's autonomy does not prevent it being affiliated into a
congregation
A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship.
Congregation may also refer to:
*Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship
*Congregation (Roman Curia), an administra ...
—whether national or based on some other joint characteristic—and these, in turn, form the supra-national
Benedictine Confederation
The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict ( la, Confœderatio Benedictina Ordinis Sancti Benedicti) is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict.
Origin
The Benedictine Confederation is a union of monasti ...
.
Orthodox tradition
In the
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
, there is only one type of monasticism. The profession of monastics is known as
tonsure (referring to the ritual cutting of the monastic's hair which takes place during the service) and is considered by monks to be a
Sacred Mystery
Sacred mysteries are the areas of supernatural phenomena associated with a divinity or a religious belief and praxis. Sacred mysteries may be either:
# Religious beliefs, rituals or practices which are kept secret from the uninitiated.
# Belief ...
(Sacrament). The Rite of Tonsure is printed in the ''
Euchologion
The Euchologion ( Greek: ; Slavonic: Трeбникъ, ''Trebnik''; ro, Euhologiu/Molitfelnic) is one of the chief liturgical books of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches, containing the portions of the services which are s ...
'' (
Church Slavonic
Church Slavonic (, , literally "Church-Slavonic language"), also known as Church Slavic, New Church Slavonic or New Church Slavic, is the conservative Slavic liturgical language used by the Eastern Orthodox Church in Belarus, Bosnia and Her ...
: ''Trebnik''), the same book as the other Sacred Mysteries and services performed according to need.
Lutheran tradition
Martin Luther had concerns with the spiritual value of monastic life at the time of the Reformation. After the foundation of the
Lutheran Churches, some monasteries in Lutheran lands (such as
Amelungsborn Abbey
Amelungsborn Abbey, also Amelunxborn Abbey (''Kloster Amelungsborn''), is a Lutheran monastery in Germany. It is located near Negenborn and Stadtoldendorf, in the ''Landkreis'' of Holzminden in the Weserbergland. It was the second oldest Cist ...
near
Negenborn and
Loccum Abbey in
Rehburg-Loccum) and convents (such as
Ebstorf Abbey
Ebstorf Abbey (german: Abtei Ebstorf or german: Kloster Ebstorf) is a Lutheran convent of nuns that is located near the Lower Saxon town of Uelzen, in Germany.
History
The abbey was founded around 1160 as the Priory of Saint Maurice for the Pre ...
near the town of
Uelzen and
Bursfelde Abbey in
Bursfelde Bursfelde is a village, now administratively joined with Hemeln as Bursfelde-Hemeln, in the northern part of Hann. Münden in the district of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany.
The village lies on the east side of the Weser River
The Weser ...
) adopted the Lutheran Christian faith.
Other examples of Lutheran religious orders include the "
Order of Lutheran Franciscans" in the United States. Also, a
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
religious order following the Rule of St. Benedict, "The Congregation of the Servants of Christ," was established at St. Augustine's House in Oxford, Michigan, in 1958 when some other men joined Father
Arthur Kreinheder in observing the monastic life and offices of prayer. This order has strong ties to Lutheran Benedictine orders in Sweden (
Östanbäck Monastery) and in Germany (
Priory of St. Wigbert).
Anglican tradition
Religious orders in England were dissolved by
King Henry VIII upon the separation of the English church from Roman primacy. For three hundred years, there were no formal religious orders in Anglicanism, although some informal communities – such as the
Little Gidding community – occasionally sprang into being. With the advent of the
Oxford Movement in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...
and worldwide
Anglicanism in the middle of the 19th century, several orders appeared. In 1841, the first order for women was established. The first order for men was founded 25 years later.
Anglican religious voluntarily commit themselves for life, or a term of years, to holding their possessions in common or in trust; to a celibate life in community; and obedience to their Rule and Constitution.
There are presently thirteen active religious orders for men, fifty-three for women, and eight mixed gender.
Methodist tradition
The
Methodist Church of Great Britain, and its ancestors, have established a number of orders of
Deaconesses, who are ordained as both regular and secular clergy. The
Methodist Diaconal Order (MDO) currently admits both men and women to the Order. Since the functions of a deacon are primarily
pastoral, the MDO may therefore be regarded as an order of
Regular clerics
Clerics regular are clerics (mostly priests) who are members of a religious order under a rule of life (regular). Clerics regular differ from canons regular in that they devote themselves more to pastoral care, in place of an obligation to the p ...
.
The Order of Saint Luke is a religious order in the
United Methodist Church dedicated to sacramental and liturgical scholarship, education, and practice.
Anabaptist tradition
Some Protestant religious orders follow Anabaptist theology. These would include the
Hutterites
Hutterites (german: link=no, Hutterer), also called Hutterian Brethren (German: ), are a communal ethnoreligious branch of Anabaptists, who, like the Amish and Mennonites, trace their roots to the Radical Reformation of the early 16th cent ...
and
Bruderhof, who live in full community of goods and living as a peace church.
Jehovah's Witnesses
Among their corporations, the
Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses cares for matters specific to
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
special full-time servants. In a particular branch,
traveling overseers,
special pioneers, and
branch staff are considered members of the ''Order of Special Full-time Servants and the Bethel Family''. Globally, their order is the ''Worldwide Order of Special Full-Time Servants of Jehovah’s Witnesses''. Male and female members of such religious orders typically make a formal
vow of poverty and are granted certain status and exemptions by many governments. While Jehovah's Witnesses do not consider members of their religious orders to be a
clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
separate from other Witnesses, who are also ordained ministers, they do recognize that a government may consider them such for administrative purposes.
Jehovah's Witnesses do not have a separate clergy class, but consider an adherent's qualified
baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
to constitute his
ordination
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...
as a
minister. Governments have generally recognized that Jehovah's Witnesses' full-time appointees qualify as ministers regardless of sex or appointment as an
elder
An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority.
Elder or elders may refer to:
Positions Administrative
* Elder (administrative title), a position of authority
Cultural
* North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and ...
or
deacon ("ministerial servant"); the religion itself asserts what is sometimes termed "
ecclesiastical privilege" only for its appointed elders.
Islam
Sufis
A
tariqah is how a religious order is described in
Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality ...
. It especially refers to the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking ''
ḥaqīqah'' "ultimate truth". Such tariqas typically have a ''
murshid'' (guide) who plays the role of leader or spiritual director. Members and followers of a tariqa are known as ''
murīdīn'' (singular ''murīd''), meaning "desirous", viz. "desiring the knowledge of knowing God and loving God" (also called a ''
fakir'' ). Tariqas have
silsilas ( ar, سلسلة) which is the spiritual lineage of the Shaikhs of that order. Almost all orders trace their silsila back to the
Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...
. Tariqas are spread all over the Muslim world.
Shia
Among
Shias
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...
,
Noorbakshia Islam is an order that blends Sufi principles with Shia doctrine. It claims to trace its direct spiritual lineage and chain (silsilah) to the Islamic prophet Muhammad through Ali, the first imam of Shia Islam.
Salafi
There is some historical connection between certain schools of Sufism and the development of
Wahhabism and
Salafism due to the history of these denominations.
Ibn Abd al-Wahhab
; "The Book of Monotheism")
, influences =
, influenced =
, children =
, module =
, title = Imam, Shaykh
, movement = Muwahhidun (Wahhabi)
, native_name = محمد بن ...
was inspired by
Ibn Taymiyyah, a 14th-century scholar and dedicated Sufi, who is however remembered mainly as an outspoken critic of the excesses of certain schools of Sufism during his time.
[
Today, Wahhabism is often represented as inimical to Sufism. This is not the original conception of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, who accepted Sufism as a genuine part of Islam.
See e.g.]
nsweringwhabismandsalafism.wordpress.com
"Ibn `Abd al- Wahhab said in the third volume of his complete works published by Ibn Sa`ud University, on page 31 of the Fatawa wa rasa’il, Fifth Question: ''Know — may Allah guide you — that Allah Almighty has sent Muhammad, blessings and peace upon him, with right guidance, consisting in beneficial knowledge, and with true religion consisting in righteous action. The adherents of religion are as follows: among them are those who concern themselves with learning and fiqh, and discourse about it, such as the jurists; and among them are those who concern themselves with worship and the pursuit of the Hereafter, such as the Sufis. Allah has sent His Prophet with this religion which encompasses both kinds, that is: fiqh and tasawwuf.''"
Judaism
Other traditions
A form of ordered religious living is common also in many tribes and religions of
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...
, though on a smaller scale, and some parts of England. Due to the unorganized character of these small religious groups, orders are not as visible as in other well-organised religions.
See also
*
Asceticism
*
Enclosed religious orders
*
Monasticism
*
Mendicancy
*
Religion-supporting organization
Religious activities generally need some infrastructure to be conducted. For this reason, there generally exist religion-supporting organizations, which are some form of organization that manages:
* the upkeep of places of worship, such as ...
Notes
External links
*
List of Contemplative Men's Monasteries in the United StatesList of Contemplative Women's Monasteries in the United StatesVocationNetwork.orginformation about Catholic religious communities and life as a sister, brother, or priest.
DigitalVocationGuide.orgdigital edition of VISION, the annual Catholic religious vocation discernment guide.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Religious Order