Servant of God
Encyclopedia
Servant of God is a title given to individuals by various religion
s, but in general the phrase is used to describe a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. In the Catholic Church, it designates someone who is being investigated by the Church for possibly being recognized as a saint
. In the Eastern Orthodox churches, this term is used to refer to any Eastern Orthodox Christian.
The Arabic name Abdullah
; the Hebrew name Obadiah
and the German name Gottschalk
mean "servant of god".
. All four times in the old testament, (and one of the three times in the new testament,) it refers to "Moses
the servant of God" . In the new testament, Paul calls himself "a servant of God" in , and James
calls himself "a servant of God" in . Following the rules of English grammar standardized in the King James Bible, the word "servant" is never capitalized or used as a title of nobility. ("The servant is not greater than his lord.")
and the Catholic Church as a saint in Heaven
. The process for canonization
is under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
.
The title "Servant of God" should not be confused with Servus Servorum Dei
(Servant of the Servants of God), one of the titles of the Pope
. Receiving the title Servant of God is the first of the four steps in the canonization process. The next step is being declared Venerable
, upon a decree of heroicity or martyrdom by the honored.
This is followed by beatification
, with the title of Blessed
, after the confirmation of miracles attributed to the honored. The final step is canonization
, where the honored would receive the title of Saint
.
, or Sat guru in various traditions of Hinduism
is given the name Dasa
, Servant of God, as for example the pure teacher, also called Uda ka Das, meaning the servant of the one God. In Sanskrit
word 'dasa' (IAST
) means servant, this meaning is retained in all Indian languages where monotheistic devotion to personal God
is practiced. In Tamil
, tontai, dasa, servant or "slave," commonly used to refer to devotees of Vishnu or Krishna. According to Gaudiya Vaishnava theology Smriti
statement means that living entities (bhuto) are eternally in the service (dasa) of the Supreme Lord (Hari
). Thus designation for Vaishnavas was the status title dasa
as part of their names as in Hari dasa
.
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
s, but in general the phrase is used to describe a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. In the Catholic Church, it designates someone who is being investigated by the Church for possibly being recognized as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
. In the Eastern Orthodox churches, this term is used to refer to any Eastern Orthodox Christian.
The Arabic name Abdullah
Abdullah (name)
Abdullah or Abdallah is the primary transliteration of the Arabic given name, , built from the Arabic words Abd and Allah . The first letter a in al-Ilah in its native pronunciation is often unstressed and commonly transliterated by u, a stressed a is often used as well, although any vowel can also...
; the Hebrew name Obadiah
Obadiah
Obadiah is a Biblical theophorical name, meaning "servant of Yahweh" or "worshipper of Yahweh." It is related to "Abdeel", "servant of God", which is also cognate to the Arabic name "Abdullah". Turkish name Abdil or Abdi. The form of Obadiah's name used in the Septuagint is Obdios; in Latin it is...
and the German name Gottschalk
Gottschalk
Gottschalk is a male German name, literally translating to "servant of God."People called Gottschalk:*Godescalc of Benevento, 8th-century Lombard duke...
mean "servant of god".
Bible
The expression "servant of God" appears seven times in the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. All four times in the old testament, (and one of the three times in the new testament,) it refers to "Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
the servant of God" . In the new testament, Paul calls himself "a servant of God" in , and James
Epistle of James
The Epistle of James, usually referred to simply as James, is a book in the New Testament. The author identifies himself as "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ", with "the earliest extant manuscripts of James usually dated to mid-to-late third century."There are four views...
calls himself "a servant of God" in . Following the rules of English grammar standardized in the King James Bible, the word "servant" is never capitalized or used as a title of nobility. ("The servant is not greater than his lord.")
Roman Catholic Church
"Servant of God" is the title given to a deceased person of the Catholic Church whose life and works are being investigated in consideration for official recognition by the PopePope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and the Catholic Church as a saint in Heaven
Beatific vision
The beatific vision - in Christian theology is the ultimate direct self communication of God to the individual person, when she or he reaches, as a member of redeemed humanity in the communion of saints, perfect salvation in its entirety, i.e. heaven...
. The process for canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
is under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of "heroic virtues" and beatification...
.
The title "Servant of God" should not be confused with Servus Servorum Dei
Servus Servorum Dei
Servus Servorum Dei is a Latin phrase meaning Servant of the Servants of God. The phrase is one of the titles of the Pope and is used to refer to the Pope in the beginning address of Papal bulls.-History:...
(Servant of the Servants of God), one of the titles of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
. Receiving the title Servant of God is the first of the four steps in the canonization process. The next step is being declared Venerable
Venerable
The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
, upon a decree of heroicity or martyrdom by the honored.
This is followed by beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
, with the title of Blessed
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
, after the confirmation of miracles attributed to the honored. The final step is canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
, where the honored would receive the title of Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
.
Hinduism
GuruGuru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
, or Sat guru in various traditions of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
is given the name Dasa
Dasa
Dasa is a term used with the primary meaning 'enemy', especially relating to tribes identified as the enemies of the Indo-Aryan tribes in the Rigveda....
, Servant of God, as for example the pure teacher, also called Uda ka Das, meaning the servant of the one God. In Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word 'dasa' (IAST
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Indic scripts as employed by the Sanskrit language.-Popularity:...
) means servant, this meaning is retained in all Indian languages where monotheistic devotion to personal God
Personal God
A personal god is a deity who can be related to as a person instead of as an "impersonal force", such as the Absolute, "the All", or the "Ground of Being"....
is practiced. In Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, tontai, dasa, servant or "slave," commonly used to refer to devotees of Vishnu or Krishna. According to Gaudiya Vaishnava theology Smriti
Smriti
Smriti literally "that which is remembered," refers to a specific body of Hindu religious scripture, and is a codified component of Hindu customary law. Smṛti also denotes non-Śruti texts and is generally seen as secondary in authority to Śruti. The literature which comprises the Smrti was...
statement means that living entities (bhuto) are eternally in the service (dasa) of the Supreme Lord (Hari
Hari
Hari is an Avatar, another name of and , and appears as the 650th name in the Vishnu sahasranama of Mahabharata. In Sanskrit "hari" sometimes refers to a colour, green, yellow, or fawn-coloured/khaki. It is the colour of the Sun and of Soma...
). Thus designation for Vaishnavas was the status title dasa
Dasa
Dasa is a term used with the primary meaning 'enemy', especially relating to tribes identified as the enemies of the Indo-Aryan tribes in the Rigveda....
as part of their names as in Hari dasa
Haridasa
The Haridasa devotional movement is considered as one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual...
.
See also
- List of Servants of God (Roman Catholic Church)
- American Catholic Servants of God, Venerables, Beatified, and Saints