Talk:Laity

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[edit] Divide article?

Since "laity" means two completely different things, I think we should cut up the article in two (one referring to the reigious meaning, the other the common meaning)

--Msoos 08:00, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

i also agree that this should be divided

What other meaning? I am glad to build a disambiguation page, but I don't know any other meaning besides this one. Give me a source or two to read and I'm glad to help with this. Sarum blue 17:04, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

I also think that if changes are to be made, it should be mentioned that while the expression "lay people" is often used in common speech, the word "laity" itself is not, and is still mostly restricted to its religious meaning. Loganberry (Talk) 02:34, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Any place for mention of groups that don't distinguish?

I don't want to clutter up the article with irrelevancies, so I won't make an addition on this topic myself. However, I'd like to raise the point that in some Christian groups, the concept of "the priesthood of all believers" (based on a biblical text) causes them to resist making a clergy/laity distinction. In the Church of Christ, as one example, a congregational may have one or more minister (often paid by the congregation), but there is an understanding that any believer — most commonly restricted to any male believer, however — has an equal authority. Mormonism, on the other hand, officially rejects having a paid preacher at all and seems to have no office clearly corresponding to that of priest, though they have elders, bishops, and at the top level, apostles. It seems a topic that should at least be touched on, but I've no clue how to do it without seeming to take the article down a tangent. Lawikitejana 02:15, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Roman Catholic history

The history of the laity is not historically accurate, but I don't have many sources at my fingertips. This section is also simplistic, and the shifting role of the laity is pretty complex... Freder1ck 00:02, 11 November 2006 (UTC)Freder1ck

When I get a chance, I want to incorporate the following bit into the section: Catechism of the Catholic Church 1268 The baptized have become "living stones" to be "built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood."74 By Baptism they share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission. They are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that [they] may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called [them] out of darkness into his marvelous light."75 Baptism gives a share in the common priesthood of all believers.1268 The baptized have become "living stones" to be "built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood."74 By Baptism they share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission. They are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that [they] may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called [them] out of darkness into his marvelous light."75 Baptism gives a share in the common priesthood of all believers.

The Catholic understanding of the common priesthood of the baptised is not new, but ancient. It's also found in the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia: [1] Freder1ck 16:34, 12 November 2006 (UTC)Freder1ck

I've made some changes, but the paragraph following the blockquote still needs work. Also, I think it's valuable to directly block quote from LG 31 as the passage succintly synthesizes a broad Catholic perspective on the laity. Freder1ck 14:29, 30 November 2006 (UTC)Freder1ck