- Orders
- a) with respect to the monastic or regular life, groups of communities following the same rule or under a common administrative and spiritual structureb) with respect to the Christian ministry, the various grades consisting of the major orders - bishop, priest, deacon, sub-deacon - and the minor orders - acolyte, exorcist, reader, doorkeeper1) The grades or steps of the Christian ministry; the so-called minor orders were acolyte, lector, exorcist, and doorkeeper; the so-called major orders, which bound their holders to celibacy, were bishop, priest, deacon and subdeacon.(Lynch, Joseph H. The Medieval Church: A Brief History, 363)2) Referring either to the grades of clerkship (holy or minor orders) or to the different associations of religious.(Heath, Peter. Church and Realm, 1272-1461, 365)Note: Minor/MajorRelated terms: Holy Orders, Minor Orders
Medieval glossary. 2014.
