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(Created page with "thumb|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 dif...") |
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[[File:John Wesley. Stipple engraving by R. Hancock, 1790, after J. Wellcome V0006246EL.jpg|thumb|Profile of [[John Wesley]], a major religious leader of the 18th century. He is styled ''The Revᵈ.'', an abbreviation of "The Reverend".]] | [[File:John Wesley. Stipple engraving by R. Hancock, 1790, after J. Wellcome V0006246EL.jpg|thumb|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 (form of address)|style]] given before the names of certain Christian | '''The Reverend''' is an [[wikipedia:honorific]] [[wikipedia:style (form of address)|style]] given before the names of certain Christian clergy and [[wikipedia:Minister of religion|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.<ref name = "ldoceonline">http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/Reverend</ref> The style is also sometimes used by leaders in other religions such as [[Judaism]] and [[Buddhism]].<ref>[https://tricycle.org/author/reverend-earl-ikeda/ "Reverend Earl Ikeda"]</ref> | ||
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''<ref name=C/> (''reverendissimus''); other Lutheran bishops, Anglican bishops, and Catholic bishops are styled ''The Right Reverend''.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Lutheran Witness, Volumes 9-11 |date=1890 |publisher=C.A. Frank |page=67 |language=en}}</ref> | The term is an [[wikipedia:anglicisation|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''<ref name=C/> (''reverendissimus''); other Lutheran bishops, Anglican bishops, and Catholic bishops are styled ''The Right Reverend''.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Lutheran Witness, Volumes 9-11 |date=1890 |publisher=C.A. Frank |page=67 |language=en}}</ref> | ||
With Christian clergy, the forms ''His Reverence'' and ''Her Reverence'' are also sometimes used, along with their parallel in direct address, ''Your Reverence''.<ref name="OED2017"/> The abbreviation ''HR'' is sometimes used.<ref name="OED2017">{{cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/reverence|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125015256/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/reverence|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2018|title=His/Your Reverence|publisher=[[Oxford English Dictionary]]|language=en|access-date=17 December 2017|quote=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.'}}</ref> | With Christian clergy, the forms ''His Reverence'' and ''Her Reverence'' are also sometimes used, along with their parallel in direct address, ''Your Reverence''.<ref name="OED2017"/> The abbreviation ''HR'' is sometimes used.<ref name="OED2017">{{cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/reverence|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125015256/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/reverence|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2018|title=His/Your Reverence|publisher=[[wikipedia:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]]|language=en|access-date=17 December 2017|quote=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.'}}</ref> | ||
== Usage == | == 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.<ref>{{Citation | title = The Chicago Manual of Style | edition = 16th | publisher = The University of Chicago Press | place = Chicago | year = 2010}}</ref> The usual abbreviations for ''Reverend'' are ''Rev.'', ''Revd'' and ''Rev'd''. | 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.<ref>{{Citation | title = The Chicago Manual of Style | edition = 16th | publisher = The University of Chicago Press | place = Chicago | year = 2010}}</ref> The usual abbreviations for ''Reverend'' are ''Rev.'', ''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''); ''The Reverend Father Smith'' or ''The Reverend Mr Smith'' are correct though now old-fashioned uses. Use of the prefix with the surname alone (''The Reverend Smith'') is considered a [[solecism]] in traditional usage: it would be as irregular as calling the person in question "The Well-Respected Smith". In some countries, especially Britain, Anglican clergy are acceptably addressed by the title of their office, such as ''[[Vicar]]'', ''[[Rector (ecclesiastical)|Rector]]'', or ''[[Archdeacon]]''. | ''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''); ''The Reverend Father Smith'' or ''The Reverend Mr Smith'' are correct though now old-fashioned uses. Use of the prefix with the surname alone (''The Reverend Smith'') is considered a [[wikipedia:solecism|solecism]] in traditional usage: it would be as irregular as calling the person in question "The Well-Respected Smith". In some countries, especially Britain, Anglican clergy are acceptably addressed by the title of their office, such as ''[[Vicar]]'', ''[[Rector (ecclesiastical)|Rector]]'', or ''[[Archdeacon]]''. | ||
In the 20th and 21st centuries, it has been increasingly common for ''reverend'' to be used as a noun and for clergy to be referred to as being either ''a reverend'' or ''the reverend'' (''I talked to the reverend about the wedding service.'') or to be addressed as ''Reverend'' or, for example, ''Reverend Smith'' or ''the Reverend Smith''. This has traditionally been considered grammatically incorrect on the basis that it is equivalent to referring to a judge as being ''an honourable'' or an adult man as being ''a mister''.<ref>{{Citation | title = The New Fowler's Modern English Usage | editor-first = RW | editor-last = Burchfield | publisher = Clarendon | place = Oxford | year = 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://library.thinkquest.org/10679/english/eng_abb.html | title = Information Internet: English Grammar, Abbreviations | publisher = Think quest | access-date = 24 October 2012 | archive-date = 21 October 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121021044051/http://library.thinkquest.org/10679/english/eng_abb.html | url-status = live }}</ref> It is likewise incorrect to form the plural ''Reverends''. Some dictionaries,<ref>{{Citation | contribution-url = http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861701835/Reverend.html | contribution = Reverend | title = Encarta | publisher = MSN | type = online dictionary | access-date = 6 February 2009 | archive-date = 15 February 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090215002506/http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861701835/Reverend.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> 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''); but in a list of clergy, ''The Revv'' is sometimes put before the list of names, especially in the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive-uat.catholicherald.co.uk/article/6th-june-1947/7/ecclesiastical-and-other-information|title=Ecclesiastical and other information|publisher=The Catholic Herald|date=6 June 1947|access-date=13 October 2018|archive-date=14 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014053023/http://archive-uat.catholicherald.co.uk/article/6th-june-1947/7/ecclesiastical-and-other-information|url-status=live}}</ref> | In the 20th and 21st centuries, it has been increasingly common for ''reverend'' to be used as a noun and for clergy to be referred to as being either ''a reverend'' or ''the reverend'' (''I talked to the reverend about the wedding service.'') or to be addressed as ''Reverend'' or, for example, ''Reverend Smith'' or ''the Reverend Smith''. This has traditionally been considered grammatically incorrect on the basis that it is equivalent to referring to a judge as being ''an honourable'' or an adult man as being ''a mister''.<ref>{{Citation | title = The New Fowler's Modern English Usage | editor-first = RW | editor-last = Burchfield | publisher = Clarendon | place = Oxford | year = 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://library.thinkquest.org/10679/english/eng_abb.html | title = Information Internet: English Grammar, Abbreviations | publisher = Think quest | access-date = 24 October 2012 | archive-date = 21 October 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121021044051/http://library.thinkquest.org/10679/english/eng_abb.html | url-status = live }}</ref> It is likewise incorrect to form the plural ''Reverends''. Some dictionaries,<ref>{{Citation | contribution-url = http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861701835/Reverend.html | contribution = Reverend | title = Encarta | publisher = MSN | type = online dictionary | access-date = 6 February 2009 | archive-date = 15 February 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090215002506/http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861701835/Reverend.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> 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''); but in a list of clergy, ''The Revv'' is sometimes put before the list of names, especially in the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive-uat.catholicherald.co.uk/article/6th-june-1947/7/ecclesiastical-and-other-information|title=Ecclesiastical and other information|publisher=The Catholic Herald|date=6 June 1947|access-date=13 October 2018|archive-date=14 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014053023/http://archive-uat.catholicherald.co.uk/article/6th-june-1947/7/ecclesiastical-and-other-information|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
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*** ''The Reverend Mister'' (in writing) may be used for seminarians who are ordained to the diaconate, before being ordained presbyters; ''Deacon'' (in speaking); nearly never ''Father Deacon'' when referring to a [[Latin Church]] deacon in English. | *** ''The Reverend Mister'' (in writing) may be used for seminarians who are ordained to the diaconate, before being ordained presbyters; ''Deacon'' (in speaking); nearly never ''Father Deacon'' when referring to a [[Latin Church]] deacon in English. | ||
* [[Priest]]s, whether [[Secular clergy|secular]], in an order of [[Canons Regular|canons regular]], a [[monastic orders|monastic]] or a [[mendicant order]], or [[Clerics Regular|clerics regular]] ''The Reverend'' or ''The Reverend Father'' (in writing). | * [[Priest]]s, whether [[Secular clergy|secular]], in an order of [[Canons Regular|canons regular]], a [[monastic orders|monastic]] or a [[mendicant order]], or [[Clerics Regular|clerics regular]] ''The Reverend'' or ''The Reverend Father'' (in writing). | ||
** [[Protonotary apostolic|Protonotaries Apostolic]], [[Honorary Prelate|Prelates of Honor]] and [[chaplain of His Holiness|Chaplains of His Holiness]]: ''The Reverend [[Monsignor]]'' (in writing). | ** [[Protonotary apostolic|Protonotaries Apostolic]], [[wikipedia:Honorary Prelate|Prelates of Honor]] and [[chaplain of His Holiness|Chaplains of His Holiness]]: ''The Reverend [[Monsignor]]'' (in writing). | ||
** Priests with various grades of jurisdiction above pastor (e.g., [[vicars general]], [[judicial vicar]]s, [[ecclesiastical judge]]s, [[episcopal vicar]]s, [[Provincial superior|provincials]] of religious orders of priests, rectors or presidents of colleges and universities, [[Prior (ecclesiastical)|prior]]s of monasteries, [[Dean (religion)|dean]]s, [[vicars forane]], [[archpriests]]): ''The Very Reverend'' (in writing). | ** Priests with various grades of jurisdiction above pastor (e.g., [[vicars general]], [[judicial vicar]]s, [[ecclesiastical judge]]s, [[episcopal vicar]]s, [[Provincial superior|provincials]] of religious orders of priests, rectors or presidents of colleges and universities, [[Prior (ecclesiastical)|prior]]s of monasteries, [[Dean (religion)|dean]]s, [[vicars forane]], [[archpriests]]): ''The Very Reverend'' (in writing). | ||
* [[Abbot]]s of monasteries: ''The Right Reverend'' (in writing). | * [[Abbot]]s of monasteries: ''The Right Reverend'' (in writing). | ||
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* [[Abbot]]s and [[abbess]]es are styled ''The Very Reverend Abbot/Abbess'' and are addressed as ''Father'' and ''Mother'' respectively. | * [[Abbot]]s and [[abbess]]es are styled ''The Very Reverend Abbot/Abbess'' and are addressed as ''Father'' and ''Mother'' respectively. | ||
* A bishop is referred to as ''The Right Reverend Bishop''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goarch.org/-/forms-of-addresses-and-salutations-for-orthodox-clergy |title=Forms of Addresses and Salutations for Orthodox Clergy |access-date=19 February 2019 |archive-date=22 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722155535/https://www.goarch.org/-/forms-of-addresses-and-salutations-for-orthodox-clergy |url-status=live }}</ref> and addressed as ''Your Grace'' (or ''Your Excellency''). | * A bishop is referred to as ''The Right Reverend Bishop''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goarch.org/-/forms-of-addresses-and-salutations-for-orthodox-clergy |title=Forms of Addresses and Salutations for Orthodox Clergy |access-date=19 February 2019 |archive-date=22 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722155535/https://www.goarch.org/-/forms-of-addresses-and-salutations-for-orthodox-clergy |url-status=live }}</ref> and addressed as ''Your Grace'' (or ''Your Excellency''). | ||
* An archbishop or metropolitan, whether or not he is the head of an [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] or [[ | * An archbishop or metropolitan, whether or not he is the head of an [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] or an [[Autonomous church]], is styled ''The Most Reverend Archbishop/Metropolitan'' and addressed as ''Your Eminence''. | ||
* Heads of autocephalous and autonomous churches with the title Patriarch are styled differently, according to the customs of their respective churches, usually ''Beatitude'' but sometimes ''Holiness'' and exceptionally ''All-Holiness''. | * Heads of autocephalous and autonomous churches with the title Patriarch are styled differently, according to the customs of their respective churches, usually ''Beatitude'' but sometimes ''Holiness'' and exceptionally ''All-Holiness''. | ||
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=====Lutheran===== | =====Lutheran===== | ||
* Deacons: Commonly styled ''Deacon'' and their last name (such as Deacon Smith) | * Deacons: Commonly styled ''Deacon'' and their last name (such as Deacon Smith) | ||
*Pastors: ''The Reverend'' is usually written, but the person is commonly orally addressed as ''Pastor Smith'' or "Pastor John"; the latter frequently used by members of their congregation. | * Pastors: ''The Reverend'' is usually written, but the person is commonly orally addressed as ''Pastor Smith'' or "Pastor John"; the latter frequently used by members of their congregation. | ||
* Priests: The formal style for a priest is either ''The Reverend'' or ''The Very Reverend'', but for male priests the title ''Father'' and the person's last name are frequently used (such as Father Smith). | * Priests: The formal style for a priest is either ''The Reverend'' or ''The Very Reverend'', but for male priests the title ''Father'' and the person's last name are frequently used (such as Father Smith). | ||
* Bishops are styled as ''The Right Reverend''. | * Bishops are styled as ''The Right Reverend''. | ||
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=====Methodist===== | =====Methodist===== | ||
In some Methodist churches, especially in the United States, ordained and licensed ministers are usually addressed as ''Reverend'', unless they hold a doctorate in which case they are often addressed in formal situations as ''The Reverend Doctor''. In informal situations ''Reverend'' is used. ''The Reverend'', however, is used in more formal or in written communication, along with ''His/Her Reverence'' or ''Your Reverence''. ''Brother'' or ''Sister'' is used in some places, although these are formally used to address members of Methodist religious orders, such as the [[Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery]]. Use of these forms of address differs depending on the location of the church or [[Annual conferences within Methodism|annual conference]]. | In some Methodist churches, especially in the United States, ordained and licensed ministers are usually addressed as ''Reverend'', unless they hold a doctorate in which case they are often addressed in formal situations as ''The Reverend Doctor''. In informal situations ''Reverend'' is used. ''The Reverend'', however, is used in more formal or in written communication, along with ''His/Her Reverence'' or ''Your Reverence''. ''Brother'' or ''Sister'' is used in some places, although these are formally used to address members of Methodist religious orders, such as the [[wikipedia:Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery|Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery]]. Use of these forms of address differs depending on the location of the church or [[wikipedia:Annual conferences within Methodism|annual conference]]. | ||
In British Methodism, ordained ministers can be either presbyters (ministers of word and sacrament) or deacons (ministers of witness and service). Presbyters are addressed as ''The Revd'' (with given name and surname) or as Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms with surname alone. | In British Methodism, ordained ministers can be either presbyters (ministers of word and sacrament) or deacons (ministers of witness and service). Presbyters are addressed as ''The Revd'' (with given name and surname) or as Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms with surname alone. | ||
The [[United Methodist Church]] in the United States often addresses its ministers as ''Reverend'' (e.g., ''Reverend Smith''). ''The Reverend'', however, is still used in more formal or official written communication. | The [[United Methodist Church]] in the [[wikipedia:United States|United States]] often addresses its ministers as ''Reverend'' (e.g., ''Reverend Smith''). ''The Reverend'', however, is still used in more formal or official written communication. | ||
=====Presbyterian===== | =====Presbyterian===== | ||