The Reverend

Last updated

Profile of John Wesley, a major religious leader of the 18th century. He is styled The Revd., an abbreviation of "The Reverend". John Wesley. Stipple engraving by R. Hancock, 1790, after J. Wellcome V0006246EL.jpg
Profile of John Wesley, a major religious leader of the 18th century. He is styled The Revᵈ., an abbreviation of "The Reverend".

The Reverend is an honorific style given before the names of certain Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. The Reverend is correctly called a style, but is sometimes referred to as a title, form of address, or title of respect. [1]

Contents

The term is an anglicisation of the Latin reverendus, the style originally used in Latin documents in medieval Europe. It is the gerundive or future passive participle of the verb revereri ("to respect; to revere"), meaning "[one who is] to be revered/must be respected". The Reverend is therefore equivalent to the Honourable or the Venerable . It is paired with a modifier or noun for some offices in some religious traditions: Lutheran archbishops, Anglican archbishops, and most Catholic bishops are usually styled The Most Reverend (reverendissimus); other Lutheran bishops, Anglican bishops, and Catholic bishops are styled The Right Reverend. [2] [3] [4]

The forms His Reverence and Her Reverence are also sometimes used, along with their parallel in direct address, Your Reverence. [5]

Usage

In traditional and formal English usage it is still considered incorrect to drop the definite article, the, before Reverend. In practice, however, the is often not used in both written and spoken English. When the style is used within a sentence, the is correctly in lower-case. [6] Abbreviations for Reverend include Rev., Revd (or Revd), and Rev'd.

The Reverend is traditionally used as an adjectival form with first names (or initials) and surname, e.g. "the Reverend John Smith" or "the Reverend J. F. Smith"; if the first names (or initials) are unknown, the correct form is "The Reverend Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Smith". [3] Use of the prefix with the surname alone, e.g. "The Reverend Smith", is incorrect (a solecism) in formal usage. [7] [3] The style always precedes titles, such as Canon or Doctor. [3]

In the 20th and 21st centuries, it has been increasingly common[ citation needed ] for the term to be used as a noun and for clergy to be referred to as being either a reverend or the reverend, or to be addressed as simply reverend. This has traditionally been considered incorrect on the basis that it is equivalent to referring to a judge as being an honourable or an adult man as a mister, both of which are also grammatically improper. [7] [8] It is likewise incorrect to form the plural reverends. Some dictionaries, [9] however, do place the noun rather than the adjective as the word's principal form, owing to an increasing use of the word as a noun among people with no religious background or knowledge of traditional styles of ecclesiastical address. When several clergy are referred to, they are often styled individually (e.g. "The Reverend John Smith and the Reverend Henry Brown"); in a list of clergy, the Revv is sometimes put before the list of names, especially in the Catholic Church in Britain and Ireland. [10]

In a unique case, the Reverend was used to refer to a church consistory, a local administrative body. "The Reverend Coetus" and "the Reverend Assembly" were used to refer to the collective body of local officials during the transformation of the Dutch Reformed Church in the mid-18th century. [11]

The use of the Christian term "Reverend" for the rabbi of a congregation was common in Reform Judaism in the 19th and early 20th centuries; however, the Central Conference of American Rabbis deprecated this usage in 1897. [12] The style is also sometimes used by leaders in other religions such as Buddhism. [13] [ better source needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role or office of the bishop is called episcopacy. Organizationally, several Christian denominations utilize ecclesiastical structures that call for the position of bishops, while other denominations have dispensed with this office, seeing it as a symbol of power. Bishops have also exercised political authority within their dioceses.

In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdiocese, or are otherwise granted a titular archbishopric. In others, such as the Lutheran Church of Sweden, the title is only borne by the leader of the denomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clergy</span> Formal leaders within established religions

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 terms used for individual clergy are clergyman, clergywoman, clergyperson, churchman, cleric, ecclesiastic, and vicegerent while clerk in holy orders has a long history but is rarely used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese</span> Christian district governed by a bishop

In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.

A style of office, also called manner of reference, or form of address when someone is spoken to directly, is an official or legally recognized form of reference for a person or other entity, and may often be used in conjunction with a personal title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal capacity. Such styles are particularly associated with monarchies, where they may be used by a wife of an office holder or of a prince of the blood, for the duration of their marriage. They are also almost universally used for presidents in republics and in many countries for members of legislative bodies, higher-ranking judges, and senior constitutional office holders. Leading religious figures also have styles.

A vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior. Linguistically, vicar is cognate with the English prefix "vice", similarly meaning "deputy". It also refers to a senior priest in the Church of England. The title appears in a number of Christian ecclesiastical contexts, but also as an administrative title, or title modifier, in the Roman Empire. In addition, in the Holy Roman Empire, a local representative of the emperor, such as an archduke, could be styled "vicar".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pastor</span> Ordained leader of a Christian congregation

A pastor is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Anglicanism, pastors are always ordained. In Methodism, pastors may be either licensed or ordained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestment</span> Clothing prescribed for clergy performing specific roles

Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially by Eastern Churches, Catholics, Lutherans, and Anglicans. Many other groups also make use of liturgical garments; among the Reformed (Calvinist) Churches this was a point of controversy in the Protestant Reformation and sometimes since, in particular during the ritualist controversies in the Church of England in the 19th century.

Forms of address used in the United Kingdom are given below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecclesiastical Latin</span> Variety of Latin used by churches

Ecclesiastical Latin, also called Church Latin or Liturgical Latin, is a form of Latin developed to discuss Christian thought in Late antiquity and used in Christian liturgy, theology, and church administration to the present day, especially in the Catholic Church. It includes words from Vulgar Latin and Classical Latin re-purposed with Christian meaning. It is less stylized and rigid in form than Classical Latin, sharing vocabulary, forms, and syntax, while at the same time incorporating informal elements which had always been with the language but which were excluded by the literary authors of Classical Latin.

The high church are the beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology that emphasize "ritual, priestly authority, [and] sacraments". Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term originated in and has been principally associated with the Anglican tradition, where it describes churches using a number of ritual practices associated in the popular mind with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. The opposite tradition is low church. Contemporary media discussing Anglican churches often prefer the terms evangelical to low church and Anglo-Catholic to high church, even though their meanings do not exactly correspond. Other contemporary denominations that contain high church wings include some Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monsignor</span> Honorific form of address for certain Catholic clergy

Monsignor is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons. or Msgr. In some countries, the title "monsignor" is used as a form of address for bishops. However, in English-speaking countries, the title is unrelated to the episcopacy, though many priests with the title later become bishops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister (Christianity)</span> Religious occupation in Christianity

In Christianity, a minister is a person authorised by a church or other religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community. The term is taken from Latin minister. In some church traditions the term is usually used for people who have been ordained, but in other traditions it can also be used for non-ordained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English honorifics</span> Courtesy form of address

In the English language, an honorific is a form of address conveying esteem, courtesy or respect. These can be titles prefixing a person's name, e.g.: Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Mx, Sir, Dame, Dr, Cllr, Lady, or Lord, or other titles or positions that can appear as a form of address without the person's name, as in Mr President, General, Captain, Father, Doctor, or Earl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eminence (style)</span> Style of reference for high nobility

His Eminence is a style of reference for high nobility, still in use in various religious contexts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clerical collar</span> Detachable collar worn by Christian clergy

A clerical collar, Roman collar, clergy collar, or, informally, dog collar, is an item of Christian clerical clothing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean (Christianity)</span> Ecclesiastical title

A dean, in an ecclesiastical context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and many Lutheran denominations. A dean's assistant is called a sub-dean.

The Right Reverend is an honorific style given to certain religious figures and members of a clergy.

Ecclesiastical titles are the formal styles of address used for members of the clergy.

Mister, usually written in its contracted form Mr. or Mr, is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title Mr derived from earlier forms of master, as the equivalent female titles Mrs, Miss, and Ms all derived from earlier forms of mistress. Master is sometimes still used as an honorific for boys and young men.

References

  1. ↑ "Reverend". LDoceOnline English Dictionary (definition) (online ed.). Longman. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  2. ↑ The Lutheran Witness, Volumes 9-11. C.A. Frank. 1890. p. 67.
  3. 1 2 3 4 ""How to address the clergy", Crockford's Clerical Directory website". Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  4. ↑ ""How to Address Church Officials", Catholic Education Resource Center website". Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "His/Your Reverence". Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2017. 1.2His/Your Reverence A title or form of address to a member of the clergy, especially a priest in Ireland. 'I regret, Your Reverence, that I cannot come to meet you.'
  6. ↑ The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.), Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2010
  7. 1 2 "Information Internet: English Grammar, Abbreviations". Think quest. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  8. ↑ Burchfield, RW, ed. (1996), The New Fowler's Modern English Usage, Oxford: Clarendon
  9. ↑ "Reverend", Encarta (online dictionary), MSN, archived from the original on 15 February 2009, retrieved 6 February 2009
  10. ↑ "Ecclesiastical and other information". The Catholic Herald. 6 June 1947. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  11. ↑ Thompson, Henry Post (1882). History of the Reformed Church, at Readington, N. J. 1719-1881,. Board of publication of the Reformed church in America. doi:10.7282/T33F4QN7. ISBN   1131003942.
  12. ↑ Silverstein, Alan (September 1995). Alternatives to Assimilation: The Response of Reform Judaism to American Culture, 1840-1930. UPNE. p. 135. ISBN   978-0-87451-726-2.
  13. ↑ "Reverend Earl Ikeda" Archived 29 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine , Tricycle: The Buddhist Review website.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.