Churchliness

Churchliness is a noun describing the quality of being characteristic of the church or suitable to church life. It can refer to attitudes, practices, and beliefs that align with ecclesial life, order, and community. The sense may be positive, emphasizing fidelity to liturgy, sacraments, and ecclesiastical authority, or neutral, simply indicating conformity with church norms.

Etymology and scope: the term is formed from the word church plus the noun-forming suffix -ness. It appears in English from the medieval period and continues in modern usage to denote things related to the church rather than to secular life. As a label, it often signals a traditional or institutional dimension of Christian life.

Usage and contexts: churchliness appears in ecclesiastical writing, historical descriptions of church practice, and theological discourse on the relationship between church and world. It can reference liturgical sensibilities, doctrinal tone, governance, or a general sense of belonging to a church community. Different Christian traditions interpret churchliness in distinct ways, with some stressing continuity with historic rites and authority, and others warning against an excessive emphasis on outward form.

Related concepts and distinctions: churchliness intersects with ecclesiality, churchmanship, and sacramental life, and is often discussed in relation to orthodoxy and doctrinal fidelity. It is distinct from worldliness, which denotes secular values or concerns. In contemporary usage, the term is relatively uncommon outside literary, historical, or doctrinal contexts, where it helps describe a temperament or posture aligned with church life.

Overall, churchliness denotes a mode of being aligned with the church’s life, order, and tradition, for better or worse depending on perspective and context.