Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A system of church government in which bishops are the chief clerics.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Government of the church by bishops; that form of church government in which there are three distinct orders of ministers—bishops, priests or presbyters, and deacons.
- noun The state of being a bishop; episcopal rank or office.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun Government of the church by bishops; church government by three distinct orders of ministers -- bishops, priests, and deacons -- of whom the bishops have an authority superior and of a different kind.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Government of the church by bishops.
- noun Bishops collectively;
episcopate .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the collective body of bishops
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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That the Southern Baptist Convention has in the last few decades morphed into a quasi-episcopacy is only one of the many cruel ironies of the history of populism in this country. bullfighter Says:
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I firmly hold, then, and shall hold to my dying breath the belief of the Fathers in the charism of truth, which certainly is, was, and always will be in the succession of the episcopacy from the apostles.
Oath of Truth Francis 2006
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I firmly hold, then, and shall hold to my dying breath the belief of the Fathers in the charism of truth, which certainly is, was, and always will be in the succession of the episcopacy from the apostles.
Archive 2006-09-01 Francis 2006
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Magnesians, in that edition, calling episcopacy neōterikēn taxin, plainly intimating a comparative novelty in that order to others in the churches, and fearing (as well he might) that his translation of neōterikē taxis into
The Doctrine of the Saints��� Perseverance Explained and Confirmed 1616-1683 1966
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But the achievement which reflects most credit upon his episcopacy is the restoration of the religious orders.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 7: Gregory XII-Infallability 1840-1916 1913
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Christian church a controversy about the name episcopacy, appointed the forementioned orders, bishops and deacons.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation) 1721
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The unity of the episcopacy is a source of great strength, while its absence wastes energies, frustrates efforts and gives room for the enemies of the Church to neutralise our witness.
Spero News 2009
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Page 28 church without a bishop, that many of the early preachers realized the importance that an episcopacy which is free from any display of arrogance or unseemly assumption of power, is capable of the best possible results.
Sketch of the Early History of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church with Jubilee Souvenir and an Appendix James Walker 1914
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I don't know what Dave means by "episcopacy" either, but there's widespread scholarly agreement that the monarchical episcopate wasn't universal early on.
Triablogue 2010
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They also claim that in his day their was no hierarchy, no episcopacy, as if that had been necessary, as long as Saint Paul himself was bishop of his communities, together with Titus, Timothy and others, whom one would call auxiliary bishops today.
Fr. von Balthasar: People "need to recognize the incomparable, the unique character of the Gospel" 2009
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