bishop

bishop
bishopless, adj.bishoplike, adj.
/bish"euhp/, n., v., bishoped, bishoping.
n.
1. a person who supervises a number of local churches or a diocese, being in the Greek, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other churches a member of the highest order of the ministry.
2. a spiritual supervisor, overseer, or the like.
3. Chess. one of two pieces of the same color that may be moved any unobstructed distance diagonally, one on white squares and the other on black.
4. a hot drink made of port wine, oranges, cloves, etc.
5. Also called bishop bird. any of several colorful African weaverbirds of the genus Euplectes, often kept as pets.
v.t.
6. to appoint to the office of bishop.
[bef. 900; ME; OE bisc(e)op < VL *ebiscopus, for LL episcopus < Gk epískopos overseer, equiv. to epi- EPI- + skopós watcher; see SCOPE]

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I
In some Christian churches, the chief pastor and overseer of a diocese, an area containing several congregations.

From the 4th century AD until the Reformation, bishops held broad secular and religious powers, including the settling of disputes, ordination of clergy, and confirmation of church members. Some Christian churches (notably the Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox churches) continue the bishop's office and the doctrine of Apostolic succession. Others, including some Lutheran and Methodist churches, retain bishops but not the principle of apostolic succession; still others have abolished the office altogether. Popes, cardinals, archbishops, patriarchs, and metropolitans are gradations of bishops. In Roman Catholicism, the pope selects the bishop; in Anglicanism, the dean and chapter of the cathedral of the diocese elect the bishop; in Methodism a synod chooses the bishop. See also episcopacy.
II
(as used in expressions)
Bishop Berkeley
Bishop's University
Bishop Elizabeth
Bishop John Michael
Bishop William Avery
Billy Bishop

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      in some Christian churches, the chief pastor and overseer of a diocese, an area containing several congregations. Although the New Testament mentions the office, its origins are obscure. It seems that the episcopacy (q.v.), or threefold ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons, was well established in the Christian church by the 2nd century AD. The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and other churches have maintained the view that bishops are the successors of the Apostles and that an unbroken line of succession connects the Apostles to all legitimate bishops, a doctrine known as apostolic succession. Until Feb. 11, 1989, when Barbara Harris (Harris, Barbara Clementine) was ordained a bishop in the Protestant Episcopal church in the United States, the apostolic-succession churches had reserved the office only for men.

      From the Roman Empire's recognition of Christianity in the 4th century AD until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, the bishop was the chief pastor, priest, administrator, and ruler of his diocesan Christian community. He was the chief liturgical minister; he baptized, celebrated the Eucharist, ordained, absolved, controlled church finances, and settled matters of dispute.

      In the course of the Reformation, some of the new Protestant churches repudiated the office of the bishop, partly because they believed the office to have acquired such broad temporal and civil powers during the European Middle Ages as to endanger its spiritual purity, and partly because they saw no basis for the institution in the New Testament. Thus, of the post-Reformation Christian communions, only the Roman Catholics (Roman Catholicism), the Eastern Orthodox, Old Catholics, Anglicans, and a few others have maintained both the bishop's office and the belief that bishops have continued the apostolic succession. Some Lutheran (Lutheranism) churches (in the United States, Scandinavia, and Germany) have bishops, but, except for those in Sweden, they have not maintained the doctrine of apostolic succession. Most other Protestant churches do not have bishops. In the United Methodist church in the United States, bishops function as superintendents of several congregations and have the power to ordain ministers. In other Protestant churches bishops have various functions.

      Popes, cardinals, archbishops, patriarchs, and metropolitans are different gradations of bishops. A bishop is often assisted in the administration of his diocese by other, lesser bishops, who may be known as suffragans, assistants, auxiliaries, or coadjutor bishops. Bishops alone have the right to confirm and ordain members of the clergy, and their main duty is to supervise the clergy within their diocese. In the Roman Catholic church, the bishop is selected by the pope and receives confirmation in his office at the hands of an archbishop and two other bishops. In the Anglican and other churches, a bishop is chosen by the dean and chapter of the cathedral of a diocese. In the Methodist churches the bishop is chosen by jurisdictional conferences. Among the insignia traditional to a bishop are a mitre, pastoral staff, pectoral cross, ring, and caligae (i.e., stockings and sandals). See also ministry.

bird
      any of several small African birds belonging to the family Ploceidae (order Passeriformes) and constituting the genus Euplectes. The breeding males are black-bellied and reddish or yellow above, with rufflike head feathering and fluffy rump feathers nearly covering their stumpy tails. The male vigorously defends a bit of grassland or marsh, where his drab-streaked spouses—sometimes six or more—occupy globular nests. The 13-centimetre (5-inch) red bishop (E. orix), also called grenadier weaver, displays by flying about and clapping its wings. Red bishops have become established in southern Australia.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Bishop — • The title of an ecclesiastical dignitary who possesses the fullness of the priesthood to rule a diocese as its chief pastor, in due submission to the primacy of the pope Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Bishop     Bishop …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Bishop — Bish op, n. [OE. bischop, biscop, bisceop, AS. bisceop, biscop, L. episcopus overseer, superintendent, bishop, fr. Gr. ?, ? over + ? inspector, fr. root of ?, ?, to look to, perh. akin to L. specere to look at. See {Spy}, and cf. {Episcopal}.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bishop — Bishop, CA U.S. city in California Population (2000): 3575 Housing Units (2000): 1867 Land area (2000): 1.750266 sq. miles (4.533169 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.750266 sq. miles (4.533169… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Bishop — steht für: Bishop (Familienname), einen Familiennamen Bishop (Ortsname), Orte und Townships eine britische Selbstfahrlafette, siehe Bishop (Panzer) im englischen den Läufer im Schachspiel Bernice P. Bishop Museum (oder Museum für Natur und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bishop's — *Bishop Stopford s School at Enfield, England. *Bishop s University in Lennoxville, Québec, Canada. *Bishop s Stortford town in Hertfordshire , England *The Bishop s School (California) in La Jolla, California, USA. *The Bishop s School (Pune) in …   Wikipedia

  • Bishop — Bishop, John Michael * * * (as used in expressions) Bishop, Elizabeth Bishop, J(ohn) Michael Bishop, William Avery Billy Bishop …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • bishop — (n.) O.E. bisceop bishop, high priest (Jewish or pagan), from L.L. episcopus, from Gk. episkopos watcher, overseer, a title for various government officials, later taken over in a Church sense, from epi over (see EPI (Cf. epi )) + skopos watcher …   Etymology dictionary

  • Bishop, CA — U.S. city in California Population (2000): 3575 Housing Units (2000): 1867 Land area (2000): 1.750266 sq. miles (4.533169 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.750266 sq. miles (4.533169 sq. km) FIPS …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Bishop, GA — U.S. town in Georgia Population (2000): 146 Housing Units (2000): 67 Land area (2000): 0.775768 sq. miles (2.009231 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.775768 sq. miles (2.009231 sq. km) FIPS code …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Bishop, TX — U.S. city in Texas Population (2000): 3305 Housing Units (2000): 1269 Land area (2000): 2.370688 sq. miles (6.140054 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 2.370688 sq. miles (6.140054 sq. km) FIPS code …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • bishop — [bish′əp] n. [ME < OE bisceop < LL episcopus, an overseer (in LL(Ec), bishop) < Gr episkopos, overseer (in N.T., bishop) < epi , upon + skopos < skopein, to look (see SCOPE)] 1. a) a high ranking member of the Christian clergy… …   English World dictionary

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