|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
bishop
bishop. The highest order of ministers in the Christian Church. In Catholic Christendom (including the Anglican Communion) bishops are the chief pastors, who individually form a centre of unity in their dioceses and together embody the unity of the Church, and, by their consecration and power to confer Orders, witness to the succession of the Church throughout the ages. They normally receive consecration at the hands of a Metropolitan and two other bishops, and are consecrated to rule a particular diocese in that Metropolitan's province. In the RC Church the election of a bishop is performed by the Pope. Elsewhere a bishop is usually elected by the dean and chapter of the cathedral of the diocese or some other ecclesiastical body existing for the purpose. In the C of E the Crown Appointments Committee submits two names to the Prime Minister, who recommends one to the Sovereign; the Sovereign then gives leave to the College of Canons to elect, and nominates the person to be elected. The candidate must be of mature age (30 years in the C of E), have spent a certain period in priest's orders, and be of good character and sound doctrine. The chief duties of a bishop in the W. Church consist in the general oversight of his diocese, in the leadership of his clergy and laity, and in administering those Sacraments which he alone is competent to confer (Confirmation and Orders). Diocesan bishops may be assisted by other bishops known as suffragans, auxiliaries, coadjutors, or assistants. In the E. Church the position is similar, except that bishops, unlike other priests, are required to be unmarried (or widowed). From medieval times English bishops have had a seat in the House of Lords, but since 1878 only 26 English bishops have enjoyed this privilege. The number is likely to be reduced. The traditional insignia of a bishop include the throne in his cathedral (cathedra), mitre, pastoral staff, pectoral cross, and ring.
The beginnings of the episcopate have long been debated. It seems that at first the terms ‘episcopos’ and ‘presbyter’ were used interchangeably (cf. e.g. Acts 20: 17 and 20: 28). But for Ignatius (early 2nd cent.) bishops, presbyters, and deacons are quite distinct. By the middle of the 2nd cent. the leading centres of Christianity would appear to have had their own bishops and until the Reformation Christianity was everywhere organized on an episcopal basis. After the Reformation the title of bishop was retained in some Lutheran Churches, but it usually implied no claim to apostolic succession or any of the peculiar powers deriving therefrom. It is also similarly used in the Methodist Episcopal Churches in America and Africa. See also APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION. |
|
|
Cite this article
E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "bishop." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "bishop." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-bishop.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "bishop." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-bishop.html |
|
bishops
bishops. The office and work of a bishop has evolved from that of the apostles in the New Testament church. That church recognized two differing forms of ministry, that which was local and settled (pastors and teachers) and the itinerant ministry of apostles, prophets, and evangelists. The scope of the apostolic ministry is clearly revealed in the work of Paul as founder of churches, arbiter in matters of doctrine, faith, and discipline, and in his appointment of elders to supervise individual Christian communities. The word episcopus (bishop), literally ‘overseer’, well defines this apostolic ministry. The letters of Ignatius of Antioch (c. ad 100) show that by that date the work of the bishop as chief pastor, preacher, and liturgical president was becoming established, and by the time of Irenaeus of Lyons (c. ad 170) the office of bishop was widely recognized and accepted.
The jurisdiction of a bishop, within which he exercises his ministry, is a diocese, a word taken from a territorial administrative unit of the Roman empire. There were certainly Christians in the British Isles by the beginning of the 3rd cent. ad (they were mentioned by Tertullian c.208) and several bishops in the country by 314, when three of them attended the Council of Arles. The churches in Wales, Ireland, and Scotland remained episcopal during the period Christianity was forced underground in England after the withdrawal of the Romans. The gradual re-establishment of the Christian church in England and revival of episcopal government followed the mission of Augustine (597), but early Anglo-Saxon dioceses could be vast in extent and often conterminous with the kingdom in which their see was placed. After the Norman conquest, the sees of a number of bishops were transferred to larger towns (e.g. Sherborne to Salisbury, Selsey to Chichester), thus creating the diocesan map which endured until the Reformation. The reformed Church of England retained bishops and Henry VIII established five new dioceses (Bristol, Chester, Gloucester, Oxford, and, briefly, Westminster). With the development of major conurbations in the 19th cent. further dioceses were founded (Ripon 1836, Manchester 1848, St Albans and Truro 1877, Liverpool 1880, Newcastle 1882, Southwell 1884, and Wakefield 1888), a process which continued into the 20th (Birmingham and Southwark 1905, Chelmsford, Bury St Edmunds, and Sheffield 1914, Bradford 1920, Blackburn 1926, Derby, Guildford, Leicester, and Portsmouth 1927). Revd Dr John R. Guy |
|
|
Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "bishops." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "bishops." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-bishops.html JOHN CANNON. "bishops." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-bishops.html |
|
bishops
bishops The office and work of a bishop has evolved from that of the apostles in the New Testament church. That church recognized two differing forms of ministry, thatwhich was local and settled (pastors and teachers) and the itinerant ministry of apostles, prophets, and evangelists. The word episcopus (bishop), literally ‘overSeer’, well defines this apostolic ministry.
The jurisdiction of a bishop is a diocese, a word taken from a territorial administrative unit of the Roman empire. There were certainly Christians in the British Isles by the beginning of the 3rd cent. AD and several bishops in the country by 314, when three of them attended the Council of Arles. The churches in Wales, Ireland, and Scotland remained episcopal during the period Christianity was forced underground in England after the withdrawal of the Romans. The gradual re‐establishment of the Christian church in England and revival of episcopal government followed the mission of Augustine (597), but early Anglo‐Saxon dioceses could be vast in extent. After the Norman conquest, the Sees of a number of bishops were transferred to larger towns (e.g. Sherborne to Salisbury, Selsey to Chichester). The reformed Church of England retained bishops and Henry VIII established five new dioceses (Bristol, Chester, Gloucester, Oxford, and, briefly, Westminster). With the development of major conurbations in the 19th cent. further dioceses were founded Ripon 1836, Manchester 1848, St Albans and Truro 1877, Liverpool 1880, Newcastle 1882, Southwell 1884, and Wakefield 1888), a process which continued into the 20th. |
|
|
Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "bishops." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "bishops." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-bishops.html JOHN CANNON. "bishops." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-bishops.html |
|
bishop
bishop Although ‘bishops’ are mentioned five times in the NT and the qualifications for the office defined (1 Tim. 3: 1–7), the translation of the Greek episcopos has been controversial: although used by AV, NRSV, and REB, in NJB the term is ‘presiding elder’, which does justice to the fact that Tit. 1: 5–9 equates bishop and elder (Greek, presbuteros). It is clear that the later structure of the Church in which a single bishop presided over each local Church is not the situation in the NT. Certainly the AV suggestion that the traitor Judas had been endowed with a ‘bishopric’ (Acts 1: 20) is misleading. One reasonable view is that single presiding bishops evolved out of a body of elders; one of the members showed a special aptitude for teaching. This arrangement established itself throughout the Church by the 2nd cent. CE and is accepted by Ignatius of Antioch in the letters he wrote (107 CE) to Churches as he journeyed to Rome and martyrdom. It was the most effective means of securing community cohesion.
|
|
|
Cite this article
W. R. F. BROWNING. "bishop." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "bishop." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-bishop.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "bishop." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-bishop.html |
|
bishop
bishop1 a senior member of the Christian clergy, usually in charge of a diocese and empowered to confer holy orders.
In chess, a bishop is a piece, typically with its top shaped like a mitre, that can move in any direction along a diagonal on which it stands. Each player starts the game with two bishops, one moving on white squares and the other on black. Recorded in Old English (in form biscop, bisceop) the word comes from Greek episkopos ‘overseer’. Bishops' Bible an edition of the Bible published in 1568 under the direction of Archbishop Parker, and intended to counteract the popularity of the Calvinist Geneva of Chancery. |
|
|
Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bishop." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bishop." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-bishop.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bishop." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-bishop.html |
|
bishop
bish·op / ˈbishəp/ • n. 1. a senior member of the Christian clergy, typically in charge of a diocese and empowered to confer holy orders. 2. (also bishop bird) an African weaverbird, the male of which has red, orange, yellow, or black plumage. • Genus Euplectes, family Ploceidae: several species, including the red bishop (E. orix), which has scarlet plumage with a black face and underparts. 3. a chess piece, typically with its top shaped like a miter, that can move in any direction along a diagonal on which it stands. |
|
|
Cite this article
"bishop." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "bishop." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-bishop005.html "bishop." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-bishop005.html |
|
Bishop
Bishop (Anglo-Saxon via Lat. from Gk., episkopos). In Christian Churches, recognizing a threefold ministry (deacons, priests, bishops), the bishop is the highest order. In New Testament times, the offices of episkopos (literally, ‘overseer’) and presbyteros (‘elder’) are not distinguished (e.g. Titus 1. 5, 7).
Among the insignia traditional to the bishop are the throne in his cathedral, mitre, pastoral staff, pectoral cross, and ring. The most usual style of bishops is ‘Right Reverend’, or for archbishops ‘Most Reverend’. |
|
|
Cite this article
JOHN BOWKER. "Bishop." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Bishop." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Bishop.html JOHN BOWKER. "Bishop." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Bishop.html |
|
bishop
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "bishop." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "bishop." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-bishop.html T. F. HOAD. "bishop." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-bishop.html |
|
bishop
bishop2 file and tamper with the teeth of a horse so as to deceive as to age. Recorded from the early 18th century, the term apparently comes from the name of someone initiating the practice.
|
|
|
Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bishop." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bishop." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-bishop1.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bishop." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-bishop1.html |
|
bishop
bishop In Christian churches, the highest order in the ministry. Bishops are distinguished from priests chiefly by their powers to confer holy orders and to administer confirmation.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"bishop." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "bishop." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-bishop.html "bishop." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-bishop.html |
|
Bishop
|
|
|
Cite this article
A. D. MILLS. "Bishop." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. A. D. MILLS. "Bishop." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Bishop.html A. D. MILLS. "Bishop." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Bishop.html |
|
bishop
bishop A medieval beverage of hot spiced, sweetened wine (commonly port).
|
|
|
Cite this article
DAVID A. BENDER. "bishop." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAVID A. BENDER. "bishop." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-bishop.html DAVID A. BENDER. "bishop." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-bishop.html |
|
bishop
bishop see orders, holy . |
|
|
Cite this article
"bishop." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "bishop." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-bishop.html "bishop." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-bishop.html |
|
bishops
bishops See PLOCEIDAE.
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "bishops." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "bishops." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-bishops.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "bishops." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-bishops.html |
|
bishop
bishop
•ketchup
•callop, escallop, escalope, gallop, galop, Salop, shallop
•develop, envelop
•collop, dollop, gollop, lollop, scallop, scollop, trollop, Trollope, wallop
•codswallop • Stanhope • larrup
•satrap • caltrop
•stirrup, syrup (US sirup)
•Europe
•archbishop, bishop
•tittup
|
|
|
Cite this article
"bishop." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "bishop." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-bishop.html "bishop." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-bishop.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
