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#REDIRECT [[Temple]]
[[File:lighterstill.jpg]][[File:Vatican.jpg|right|frame]]
==Origin==
[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] chirche, from [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._600-1100.09THE_OLD_ENGLISH.2C_OR_ANGLO-SAXON_PERIOD Old English] cirice, ultimately from Late Greek kyriakon, from [[Greek]], neuter of kyriakos of the lord, from kyrios lord, master; akin to [[Sanskrit]] śūra [[hero]], [[warrior]]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_century before 12th Century]
==Definitions==
*1: a building for [[public]] and especially [[Christian]] [[worship]]
*2: the clergy or officialdom of a [[religious]] body
*3: often capitalized : a body or [[organization]] of religious believers: as
:a : the whole body of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity Christians]
:b : [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denomination denomination] <the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyterian_church Presbyterian church]>
:c : [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_church congregation]
*4: a [[public]] [[divine]] [[worship]] <goes to church every Sunday>
*5: the clerical [[profession]] <considered the church as a possible [[career]]>
==Description==
The '''church''' [[classification]] describes [[religions]] that are all-embracing of religious [[expression]] in a [[society]]. Religions of this type are the guardians of religion for all members of the [[societies]] in which they are located and tolerate no religious [[competition]]. They also strive to provide an all-[[encompassing]] [[worldview]] for their adherents and are typically enmeshed with the [[political]] and [[economic]] [[structures]] of [[society]].
Johnstone provides the following [[seven]] characteristics of churches:
<blockquote>claim [[universality]], include all members of the [[society]] within their ranks, and have a strong tendency to equate "[[citizenship]]" with "membership"
exercise religious [[monopoly]] and try to eliminate religious [[competition]]
are very closely allied with the [[state]] and [[secular]] powers–frequently there is overlapping of [[responsibilities]] and much [[mutual]] reinforcement
are extensively [[organized]] as a [[hierarchical]] [[bureaucratic]] [[institution]] with a [[complex]] division of labor
employ [[professional]], full-time clergy who possess the appropriate [[credentials]] of [[education]] and formal [[ordination]]
primarily gain new members through [[natural]] [[reproduction]] and the socialization of [[children]] into the ranks
allow for [[diversity]] by creating [[different]] groups within the church (e.g., orders of nuns or monks) rather than through the formation of new [[religions]]</blockquote>
The classical example of a church by this definition is the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholicism Roman Catholic Church], especially in the [[past]], such as the State church of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_empire Roman Empire]. Today, the Roman Catholic Church has been forced into the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociological_classifications_of_religious_movements#Denominations denomination] category because of religious [[pluralism]], or [[competition]] among religions. This is especially true of Catholicism in the United States. The [[change]] from a church to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociological_classifications_of_religious_movements#Denominations denomination] is still under way in many Latin American countries where the [[majority]] of [[citizens]] remain Catholics.
[[Islam]] is a church in the strongest sense in most Middle Eastern countries (especially Saudi Arabia), where there is no [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state separation of church and state]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law_of_Saudi_Arabia The Basic Law of Saudi Arabia] states: "[The Constitution of Saudi Arabia is] God's Book [the [[Qur'an]]] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunnah Sunnah] of His Prophet [[[Muhammad]]]". These nations are ruled under a strict [[interpretation]] of religious [[law]] (a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salafi Salafi] interpretation of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shari'a shari'a] in the case of KSA) with no equivalent secular legal system, or with religious law predominating, and never less than equal to secular law. Of all of Johnstone's criteria for a church, Islam is lacking only an [[ordained]] clergy and a strictly [[hierarchical]] [[structure]], but has a form of clergy and hierarchy in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulema ulema]. In the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi%27a Shi'a] [[sects]], there is a [[professional]] clergy led by a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Ayatollah Grand Ayatollah].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociological_classifications_of_religious_movements#Church_and_ecclesia]
[[Category: Sociology]]
[[Category: Religion]]
