Term
mendicant orders
Religious associations arising in the 13th century that relied on alms, avoided communal property, and ministered outside the cloister.
Filed underChurch History
Definition
General designation given to those new religious associations arising in the 13th century as a response to the poor brethren and depending upon alms for complete support. Avoiding even communal property, the orders were not bound by the vow of stability of place either, since their ministry was exercised outside the cloister.
Sources
- 1.Jerald C. Brauer and B. A. Gerrish, ed. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971). 542Original citation: Brauer, Jerald C., and B. A. Gerrish, eds. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971, 542.
Last revised August 14, 2026