Term
Tonsure
The shaving of the head as a rite of admission to the clerical state, originating in 5th-century monasticism.
Filed underEcclesiologyChurch History
Definition
The shaving of the head as a rite of admission to the clerical state required of all except English and American Roman Catholic clergy. It was begun as part of monasticism in the 5th century and extended to all the clergy in the 6th and 7th centuries.
Connections
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- Narrower than
- Part of
- MonasticismTerm
Sources
- 1.Alan Richardson and John Bowden The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983). 825Original citation: Richardson, Alan, and John Bowden. The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983, 825.
Last revised August 14, 2026