What does authority mean in religion

A decision is generally better made if a person has considered a variety of sources rather than just using one, or always consulting the same one. This can help them gain the most complete picture of their situation and the options available so they can make a better decision. Introduction When it comes to finding out about or understanding something, or making decisions about what to do, most people have various sources of authority they can go to for guidance and help.

Clergy 3. Laity followers of the faith The Islamic religion on the other hand has no specific hierarchy although they have: 1. Imam - leads the prayer but is not elevated above anyone else 2. Hafiz - a holy man. Wahabi - an Islamic scholar. It is a never-ending cycle that leaves these countries with severe international debt.

Although the North does give some money, in the form of aid, to the South, they take away a lot more in the form of repayment. This means that there is no money left to spend on the population and as a result, the people suffer. The bible is also used as the basis of worship and liturgy.

The eucharist or holy communion service is the obvious example of a service firmly based upon the Biblical record. The Psalms are also frequently used in worship, and individual verses in the Bible have been the inspiration for hymns and songs. Want to read the rest? Sign up to view the whole essay and download the PDF for anytime access on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Get Full Access Now or Learn more. Don't have an account yet? Create one now! Already have an account? Log in now! JavaScript seem to be disabled in your browser.

You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. Search Search Share this essay: Facebook. Join over 1. Define Religious Authority. Instead, allegiance is owed to the office that a person holds on the basis of presumably competence, training, or knowledge. Second, the norms are codified and ideally based on experience or rational values. In reality, tradition plays an important role here, and much of what becomes codified has less to do with reason or experience than with traditional customs.

Ideally, though, the social structures are supposed to be dependent upon whatever is most effective at reaching the goals of the group. Third and closely related is that rationalized authority tends to be closely circumscribed in its sphere of competence.

Their authority is limited to only particular subjects — for example, in a rationalized system, a religious authority figure has the legitimacy necessary to instruct a person on how to pray, but not also on how to vote.

The legitimacy of a person who holds their position of legal authority can be challenged when she presumes to exercise authority outside the area of her competency. Some form of technical training is typically required of anyone filling an office in a system of rational authority. In most churches, for example, a person cannot become a priest or minister without having successfully completed a predetermined course of theological and ministerial training.

There are sociologists who argue that the increasing importance of this sort of training justifies the use of the fourth category of authority, usually called technical or professional authority.

For example, medical doctors are regarded as having considerable medical authority by virtue of the fact that they have successfully completed medical school, even if they have not been hired for a particular post at a hospital. People become bishops through a formal process of training and working, allegiance to a bishop is allegiance to the office rather than to the person, and so on. In several very important ways, the position of bishop is enmeshed in a rational and legal system.

They have inherited the charismatic authority Jesus is believed to have originally possessed in relation to his immediate followers. This means that this inheritance is itself a function of tradition. Many of the characteristics of the office of bishop, such as the requirement to be male, are also dependent upon religious tradition. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Austin Cline. Atheism Expert. Austin Cline, a former regional director for the Council for Secular Humanism, writes and lectures extensively about atheism and agnosticism.

Cite this Article Format. Cline, Austin. Types of Religious Authority. Definition: Religious Authority Vs. Secular Authority. Southern Baptists and the Role of Women.