Gelübden

Gelübden are solemn promises or oaths that individuals make before a religious authority or community, often as part of entering religious life. They imply a binding commitment and may be lived out for life or for a defined period. In ordinary usage the term can also refer to vows made in secular contexts, such as wedding vows, but in religious contexts Gelübden denote vows taken as a profession of religious life.

In Western Christianity, Gelübde are central to many monastic and clerical communities. The most widely known set is the trio of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The exact formulation and emphasis vary by order. Benedictine communities, for example, speak of stability (staying in a particular monastery) along with conversion of life and obedience, while Franciscans, Dominicans and other orders commonly profess poverty, chastity and obedience and may add order-specific commitments or charisms.

Practice and progression typically follow stages: postulant, novitiate, and then the profession of temporary vows (professio temporaire) for a number of years, before taking perpetual or solemn vows (professio solemnis) that constitute a lifelong commitment. The vows are declared in a liturgical ceremony before a superior and the community, and they symbolically and legally bind the member within the religious institute.

Apart from monastic and clerical life, Gelübden can also refer to vows within marriage, known as Hochzeitsgelübde, where spouses exchange promises to love, honor and support one another. The term thus spans both religious and secular spheres, with meanings shaped by tradition and context.