pagan context/query

[lobolance]

What the heck does it mean to 'minister'?

Are those duties different than those of a priest/ess?

I have a couple half-formed ideas (and have checked a website or two), but would like to hear others' thoughts. I've been encountering the word in pagan contexts lately.

Comments

[lisa_marli]

Jewish, not pagan, but I've done my religious study.
Minister is a lay person who performs some rites. Priest/ess is someone who has gone through Full Religious training/ordination/anointing usually by some group of people that determine the meaning of the title. The Pope determines what is a Catholic Priest for instance.
So it is a matter of degree of training and consecration.
Ministers can appoint themselves That's why some many christian groups have ministers for leaders. These people said "I'm a Minister" and put up a shingle. And why the Universal Life Church can sell ministry licenses.
Other ministers had actually gone through a training program at a university, and put initials after their name.
Interestingly a Rabbi, which means Teacher, is a minister. Only Cohan can be priests. And Jews haven't had priests since the Temple was destroyed, only Rabbis. But they do need to get training from Rabbinical Schools for most temples to accept them.

[lobolance]

Cool, thanks. How are rabbis different than priests? I know they're scholars.

[lisa_marli]

There are certain sacrifices and places in the Temple in Jerusalem that a Jewish Priest can go into that a Rabbi can't. But we don't have a High Temple that holds the Ark any more, just modest Temples that hold the Torah, a sacred book, which anyone can read with training.
And the Rabbi can guide you in that process. The Rabbi also advises, and helps with understanding the Torah so that you may obey God's Laws. And he leads the services that guide our lives. Though technically anyone who has gone through bar/bat mitzvah can lead a service.
Rabbi is a Teacher/Scholar - Jews never stop learning, never stop discussing the meaning of Torah. It is what we do.

[lobolance]

Thanks, I knew bits of this, but you've filled more in. And of course that's one of the cool things about Judaism, the ongoing analysis and learning.

[bridgeweaver]

Interesting that you should ask this question. i too have seen a lot of discussion surrounding this point lately.

I suppose that priest and minister are for me overlapping sets. To me priest is more about the relationship with God, whereas minister is more about relationship with people. One can be both but it's not necessary. I know a number of Feri for instance who embrace what I'd call priest and want nothing to do with ministering. There are good and understandable reasons for this aversion, but i don't share it. I'm not sure where that will take me, but I'm looking forward to the ride.

[lobolance]

That kinda corresponds with my thinking. It's very much a usage thing. I know some folks would call the people work 'priesting'. But that's the point, different words for different folks.

I'm old-school pagan and tend to avoid words connected with Christianity (as 'minister' is), but I can see how it might be useful to use the word to talk about what can be perceived as a lack in paganism.

Thanks.

[inflectionpoint]

This. Ministering to people could be food, counseling, help with rent or expenses, etc...

I'm used to that from the christian context, actually, where there's a ministry for singles, a ministry for hospital patients, etc... using it as a combined outreach and service word.

And reserving the priest word for the dealings with gods and sacraments stuff. I also have a strong personal investment in claiming the word priest, because it was NOT available to me in my younger life.

It's difficult to parse the words out, more difficult when the heavy christian context is considered - gets confusing.

[muninnskiss]

To me, a priest/ess is a bridge to the gods. She connects people and the gods. A minister cares for the needs of people. A priest/ess might minister. Some traditions have specific people who are priest/esses, while in others everyone is one.

FFF,
~Muninn's Kiss