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ordination: Definition and Much More from Answers.com

  • ️Wed Jul 01 2015
This article is about the process of ordaining clergy. For other meanings, see ordination (disambiguation).

In general religious use, ordination is the process by which one is consecrated (set apart for the undivided administration of various religious rites). That is, it is the process in which clergy, monks or nuns are set apart and authorized by their religious denomination or non denominational seminary to perform religious rituals and ceremonies or otherwise to minister in a clerical capacity. One who is in preparation for, or who is undergoing the process of ordination, is sometimes called an ordinand.

Ordination is a requirement in a number of jurisdictions to officiate weddings. In places where ordination is not required by secular law, it is left to the requirements of the particular denomination or church whether ordination is required to officiate weddings.

Buddhism

The tradition of the ordained monastic community (Sangha) began with Buddha, who established orders of monks and later, after an initial reluctance, of nuns.

The procedure of ordination in Buddhism is laid down in the Vinaya and Patimokkha or Pratimoksha scriptures. There exist three intact ordination lineages nowadays in which one can receive an ordination according to the Buddha's teachings:

Theravada

Pabbajja is an ordination procedure for novice Buddhist monks in the Theravada tradition.

Posthumous Ordination

In Medieval Sōtō Zen, a tradition of posthumous ordination was developed to give the laity access to Zen funeral rites. Chinese Ch’an monastic codes, from which Japanese Sōtō practices were derived, contain only monastic funeral rites; there were no provisions made for funerals for lay believers. To solve this problem, the Sōtō school developed the practice of ordaining laypeople after death, thus allowing monastic funeral rites to be used for them as well. For a lay person, the posthumous ordination part of the ritual was the most vital, because without ordaining the deceased as a Zen monk, the other funeral rites could not be performed.

The ordination ceremony itself was a symbolic ritual which mirrored pre-existing monastic ordination rites. First, the precept administrator would shave the deceased’s head, representing acceptance into the priesthood. The precept administrator and his assistant would then chant a special verse that proclaims the nonexistence of an individual self. For each precept, the administrator asked the deceased three times if he or she intended to observe the Buddhist teaching. A corpse could obviously not answer the administrator’s questions, but the Japanese Sōtō Zen tradition solved this problem with a koan, a paradox to be meditated upon with Zen insight. One initiation document on the matter is based on the idea that the inability to answer either “yes” or “no” was proof of enlightenment:

How can one posthumously become a monk?
Answer: “Neither saying ‘No’ nor ‘Yes’”
A phrase?
“No self appearance; no human appearance.”
Explain [its meaning].
Answer: “When [something has] absolutely no appearance, it can become anything.”
Teacher: “But why does it become a monk?”
Answer: “Not saying ‘No’ and ‘Yes’ is truly to become a monk (shukke).”
A phrase?
“The sagely and the ordinary know of themselves [who they are].”[1]

Another initiation document states that “not making an outward show of cultivating the precepts while inwardly not clinging to false views truly is to become a monk.”[2] These texts pondering the meaning of silence assert that the dead actually make ideal Zen monks, “simply by having departed from the bounds of worldly distinctions.”[3] It was only after solving this problem of the silence in the case of a corpse that posthumous ordinations could be a legitimate Zen tradition. The innovation of posthumous ordinations then gave Japanese laypeople access to monastic funeral rites, thus popularizing Sōtō funeral practices throughout the Medieval Japanese countryside and fueling the rise of the Sōtō school in general.

Fully ordained nuns

Within Buddhism, the legitimacy of ordaining women as fully ordained nuns has become a significant topic of discussion in recent years among Buddhist tradition which does not have Sangha for nuns. Sutras pass down in every Buddhist tradition record that Buddha created an order of fully ordained nuns, but the tradition has died out in some Buddhist traditions such as Theravada Buddhism, while remaining strong in others such as Chinese Buddhism (Dharmaguptaka Lineage). In the Tibetan lineage, which follows the Mulasarvatavadin lineage, the procedure and lineage of full ordained nuns wasn't brought to Tibet by the Indian Vinaya masters, that's why there is no full nun's ordination within it. However HH the XIV. Dalai Lama has engaged since years to improve that. In 2005 he asked full ordained nuns in the Dharmaguptaka Lineage, especially Jampa Tsedroen (Carola Roloff, see also [1]), for engaging to improve that subject matter and donated 50.000€ for further research. The "1st International Congress on Buddhist Women’s Role in the Sangha: Bhikshuni Vinaya and Ordination Lineages" was held at the University of Hamburg from July 18-20, 2007, in cooperation with the University’s Asia-Africa Institute. Sadly although the general tenor was that full ordination was overdue, the Dalai Lama presented a pre-drafted statement saying that more time was required to reach a decision, thus nullifying the intentions of the congress (for more see: [2])

New Kadampa Tradition

In the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), practitioners can take an ordination from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. This ordination is described by some as being different to the ordination followed by monks and nuns in the Buddha's lineage as laid down in the Vinaya and Pratimoksha Sutras. However, it comprises the 8 commitments of rabjung or 'basic' ordination as set out in the Vinaya - to refrain from killing, stealing, lying and sexual activity, and to abandon the life of a lay person by changing one's mind, physical aspect and name. In addition to this, NKT monks and nuns receive a further 5 commitments. According to Waterhouse NKT monks and nuns are simply described as ‘ordained’, and usually take the name ‘Kelsang’ from Geshe Kelsang.[4] For more see: NKT ordination.

Christianity

Eastern, Roman, and Anglican Christianity

In the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Oriental Orthodox churches, ordination is identified with the sacrament of Holy Orders and is distinguished from religious or consecrated life, and is the means by which one is included in one of the priestly orders: bishop, priest, or deacon. In those churches, ordination can be administered only by a bishop in a line of succession of bishops dating back to the Apostles and Christ Himself. These churches hold that ordination to the priesthood enables a person to act in persona Christe, 'in the name of' or 'on behalf of Christ'. Ordination allows a priest validly to administer sacraments, most notably giving him the authority to transmute bread and wine into the true and whole Body and Blood of Christ, an event defined as transubstantiation in the Roman Catholic Church. It would be proper to think of a priest as acting as a living conduit for Christ, with sacraments being dispensed solely from God Himself through the priest, an inadequate but divinely accepted tool.

In Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox thought, the validity of an ordination is of the utmost of importance. While debate exists in many Protestant communities about the number and nature of the sacraments, and about the particulars of the Eucharist, generally speaking Catholics, Anglicans (Although historically questioned by Catholics, are now generally accepted by them) and Eastern Orthodox mutually recognize each other's ordinations and consequently sacraments, while only viewing Protestant communities' Trinitarian Baptism and Matrimony as valid (it is of note that these are the only two sacraments that do not require a priest, but merely faith and intent).

The Roman Catholic Church states that the hierarchical structure that includes the ordained ministerial priesthood is ordered to benefit the holiness of the entire body of the faithful, and not to ensure the salvation of the ordained minister.[5]

Protestant Christianity

In most Protestant churches, ordination to the ministry of preaching is the rite by which their various churches:

  • recognize and confirm that an individual's has been called by God to ministry,
  • acknowledges that the individual has gone through a period of discernment and training related to this call, and
  • authorizes that individual to take on the office of ministry.

For the sake of authorization and church order, and not for reason of 'powers' or 'ability', individuals in most mainline Protestant churches must be ordained in order to preside at the Sacrament of Baptism and a ceremony similar to the holy Eucharist, and to be installed as a "pastor" of a congregation or parish.

Some Protestant traditions have additional offices of ministry to which persons can be ordained. For instance:

  • most Presbyterian and Reformed churches maintain a three-fold order of ministry of pastor, elder, and deacon. The order of Pastor, the only one of the three orders considered "clergy", is comparable to most other denominations' pastoral office or ordained ministry. The order of elder comprises lay persons ordained to the ministries of church order and spiritual care (for example, elders form the governing bodies of congregations and are responsible for a congregation's worship life). The order of deacon comprises lay persons ordained to ministries of service and pastoral care.
  • in the Methodist tradition, deacons are also ordained.

While many of the Protestant denominations' clergy have similar titles to those of the Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox Churches, they do not have apostolic succession and therefore have no lineage of bishops which are traced all the way to the Apostles and Jesus Christ Himself.

For most Protestant denominations that have an office of bishop, such as Methodism, this is not viewed as a separate ordination or order of ministry. Rather, bishops are ordained ministers of the same order as other pastors, simply having been "consecrated" or installed into the "office" (that is, the job) of bishop. While some Lutheran churches follow this view, some also have valid apostolic succession.

Latter-day Saint Christianity

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a rite of ordination is performed to bestow either the Aaronic or Melchezidek Priesthood upon a worthy male member. As in the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, great care is taken to assure that the candidate for priesthood is ordained by those with proper authority and ordained properly and validly; thorough records of priesthood ordination are kept by the church. Ordination to the office of priest in the Aaronic Priesthood renders unto the ordained the authority to

  • baptize converts and children over the age of 8 into the church
  • bless and administer the Sacrament (the Lord's Supper)
  • participate in ordinations of others to the Aaronic Priesthood
  • collect tithes for the Bishop.

Ordination to the Melchezidek Priesthood includes the authority to perform all the duties of the Aaronic priesthood, as well as ordain others to the office of priest, bless and anoint the sick with oil, bless and dedicate graves, and other such rites. There are five offices within the Melchezidek Priesthood to which one could potentially be ordained:

  • Elder
  • High Priest
  • Patriarch
  • Seventy
  • Apostle

Islam

Muslims do not formally ordain religious leaders. The imam serves as a spiritual leader and religious authority.

Judaism

Semicha (Hebrew: סמיכה‎, "leaning [of the hands]"), also semichut (Hebrew: סמיכות‎, "ordination"), or semicha lerabanim (Hebrew: סמיכה לרבנות‎, "rabbinical ordination") is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on" or "to be authorized". It generally refers to the ordination of a rabbi within Judaism.

Ordination of women

The ordination of women is a controversial issue in religions where either the office of ordination, or the role that an ordained person fulfils, is traditionally restricted to men, for various theological reasons. Many Protestant denominations now ordain women. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America(ELCA) ordains women. The ELCA ordains women as pastors and woman are elected to the position of bishop in the ELCA. The Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA), ordains women as deacons, priests and bishops.The Lutheran Evangelical Protestant Church(LEPC) ordains women at all levels including deacon, priest and bishop.

See also

References

  1. ^ William M Bodiford, Soto Zen in Medieval Japan (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1993), 195-96.
  2. ^ Bodiford, Soto Zen in Medieval Japan, 196.
  3. ^ Bodiford, Soto Zen in Medieval Japan, 196.
  4. ^ Waterhouse 1997, 175
  5. ^ "Catechism of the Catholic Church" 1120

External links

"What Presbyterians Believe about ordination", Presbyterians Today, May 2001]

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