Home›Lineage Office›TraditionBrowse ByTraditionThis page groups religious offices by the tradition that defines each one. Wikipedia notes that "in Christianity, the specific names and roles of the clergy vary by denomination," with deacons, priests, bishops and the pope forming just one tradition's own ladder of offices. Browsing by tradition lets a visitor find every office defined within the same tradition.FactsTraditionSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsDirectoryCategoryWell-attestedReligious Offices 1TraditionFilter Results13 entriesAdherents Today MaximumAll17,887,212 (1)22,785,195 (1)110,000,000 (1)260,000,000 (1)1,406,000,000 (1)Adherents Today MinimumAll17,887,212 (1)22,785,195 (1)80,000,000 (1)220,000,000 (1)1,406,000,000 (1)Bankruptcy FilingsAll28 (1)Basis of the Education Facility CountAllThe Body's Own Published Statistics (2)Basis of the Health Facility CountAllThe Body's Own Published Statistics (1)Basis of the Humanitarian Aid FigureAllThe Body's Own Published Statistics (2)Basis of the Membership FigureAllChurch-Reported Rolls (7)Independent Survey (5)National Census (3)Scholarly or Demographic Estimate (4)Basis of the Wealth FigureAllAudited Annual Report (2)Journalistic or Scholarly Estimate (1)Regulator Filing (1)The Body's Own Published Statistics (2)Church FamilyAllAdventist (1)Anglican (2)Eastern Orthodox (1)Latter Day Saint (1)Oriental Orthodox (2)Roman Catholic (1)Date of Separation End YearAll451 (2)680 (1)765 (1)1204 (2)1571 (1)1830 (1)1863 (1)1974 (1)Date of Separation Start YearAll451 (2)632 (1)765 (1)1054 (2)1534 (2)1830 (1)1844 (1)1889 (1)Defining Doctrinal PositionAllA living, present imam (1)A staged curriculum from the first motivation to buddhahood (2)Affirms the Filioque: the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (1)An inner (batin) meaning of scripture and law alongside the outward (1)Awakening through graded cultivation (1)Belief may be concealed where disclosure would bring harm (taqiyya) (2)Chalcedonian: two natures in the one person of Christ (Chalcedon, 451) (3)Chalcedonian: two natures in the one person of Christ (Chalcedon, 451) (1)In the Imam's absence a qualified jurist holds his political authority (1)In the Imam's absence the jurist guides and judges but does not rule (1)Mahamudra: the great seal (1)Miaphysite: one incarnate nature of the Word, divine and human united (2)Non-trinitarian: the Nicene doctrine of the Trinity is not held (1)Rangtong: emptiness of self-nature (1)Recognises a post-prophetic messianic figure (1)Rejects the Filioque: the Spirit proceeds from the Father (1)Restorationist: holds the apostolic church to have been lost and restored (2)Shentong: buddha-nature empty only of what is extraneous to it (1)Succession by divine designation in the Prophet's family (2)The Imams are protected from sin and from error (ismah) (2)Trinitarian: one God in three persons (6)Trinitarian: one God in three persons (1)Documented Accused CountAll1 (1)5 (1)19 (1)21 (1)237 (1)390 (1)800 (1)1670 (1)1880 (1)2900 (1)4392 (1)Education Facility Count As OfAll2023-12-31 (1)2026-03-29 (1)GovernanceAllA federation of autonomous member organisations (1)A living imam whose office passes by descent (1)A single central governing body over the whole movement (1)An imam or caliph elected by the community or its electors (1)Authority in living jurists whom the laity choose to emulate (1)Authority in recognised reincarnate lineages (2)Authority through monastic ordination lineage and its seats (2)Delegated representation from congregations up to a general conference (1)Episcopal: governed by bishops (6)Self-governing churches under patriarchs, deciding in synod (3)Synodal: governed by synods of clergy and lay delegates (1)Universal primacy of a single bishop (1)Health Facility Count As OfAll2023-12-31 (1)How the Expectation Is EnforcedAllCodified Obligation With Consequences (4)Customary Norm (1)Obligation to Support, No Set Rate (1)Preached Expectation, Not Enforced (4)Humanitarian Aid Figure As OfAll2025-12-31 (1)Liturgical LanguageAllChurch Slavonic (1)Classical Arabic (4)Classical Armenian (Grabar) (1)Classical Syriac (1)Classical Tibetan (2)Coptic (2)Geez (1)Greek (liturgical) (1)Latin (1)The vernacular (7)Membership Figure As OfAll1910-01-01 (1)1970-12-31 (1)1971-12-31 (1)1996-01-01 (1)1998-01-01 (1)2000-12-31 (2)2007-01-01 (1)2008-01-01 (2)2009-01-01 (1)2010-01-01 (1)2014-01-01 (2)2016-12-31 (2)2018-01-01 (2)2019-01-01 (1)2020-01-01 (1)2021-01-01 (1)2021-03-21 (1)2022-01-01 (1)2023-04-29 (1)2023-12-31 (1)2024-01-01 (3)2024-12-31 (2)2026-08-14 (2)OrdinationAllAn unpaid lay ministry rather than a professional clergy (1)Celibacy required of the ordained (3)Conferred by a teacher's certification of learning (1)Married clergy permitted (4)No ordination; authority rests on learning or on the whole body (2)Non-celibate tantric practitioners alongside monastics (1)Office passes by descent (1)Open to women and men (1)Ordination is into a monastic order, not to a congregation (2)Restricted to men (7)The full female ordination lineage is held lapsed; revival contested (2)Varies between provinces or member bodies (2)Origin Period End YearAll451 (2)909 (1)941 (1)1100 (1)1150 (1)1204 (1)1419 (1)1559 (1)1571 (1)1830 (1)1863 (1)1889 (1)Origin Period Start YearAll30 (3)42 (1)632 (1)765 (1)1050 (1)1409 (1)1534 (2)1820 (1)1844 (1)1889 (1)Position on MarriageAllMarriage is held to be a lifelong, monogamous, indissoluble union; remarriage after divorce is not sanctioned while a spouse lives (1)Marriage is held to be monogamous, with remarriage after divorce sanctioned under specified conditions (4)Marriage may licitly be polygynous (2)Position on SexualityAllSame-sex orientation or practice is held to bar full membership or participation (1)Same-sex sexual relationships are held contrary to teaching; LGBT individuals are welcomed as members but not ordained, and same-sex unions are not blessed (6)Same-sex unions may be blessed, but ordination is not extended to partnered LGBT clergy (1)The body holds no single settled position; the question is actively and openly contested within it (1)Position on UsuryAllInterest is permitted but bound by ethical constraints against exploiting the poor (1)Relation to the StateAllEstablished (2)No Establishment (2)Privileged Never Established (3)Varies by Province (4)Rule Established or Last ChangedAll1838-07-08 (1)Settlement TotalAll500,000 (1)995,000 (1)137,300,000 (1)1,500,000,000 (1)5,590,000,000 (1)Status TodayAllLiving tradition, practised today (13)Wealth Figure As Of YearAll1997 (1)2018 (1)2019 (1)2023 (1)2024 (2)2025 (1)2026 (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareAhmadiyyaTradition1 entryAnglicanismTradition2 entriesChurch of EnglandTradition2 entriesCoptic OrthodoxyTradition1 entryEastern OrthodoxyTradition2 entriesGelugTradition2 entriesIsmailismTradition1 entryKagyuTradition1 entryLatter-day Saints (Mormonism)Tradition1 entryOriental OrthodoxyTradition1 entryRoman CatholicismTradition1 entrySeventh-day AdventismTradition1 entryShia (Twelver)Tradition1 entrySources1. Divinity Atlas Directory Taxonomy, First Edition Category Treetier 1Divinity Atlas Directory Prose, First Edition Category Descriptionstier 1Comments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.