Saturday, August 29, 2026
Clericalism by Malcolm Yarnell
Against the Spirit of Clericalism God gives his Word and his Spirit to every member of the redeemed to bring him or her to faith, to guide the believer into the will of God, and to equip every believer for ministry. The spirit of medieval and magisterial clericalism denies this. “Clericalism is a radical misunderstanding of the place of clerics in the Church. [It assumes clergy] form a special elite within the church, … are superior to laity, are deserving of special and preferential treatment and finally, have a closer relationship to God.” T. P. Doyle During the Protestant Reformation evangelicals tore down this “wall,” as Martin Luther called it, by reminding believers of their priesthood in Christ. However, clergy throughout history, from the high church to the low church, and from the left to the right, constantly seek to rebuild it for the sake of their own power and authority. A church I was close to announced recently “we are no longer going to evangelise. God has brought enough people in we are now going to disciple them instead.” This statement is: - a denial of the lostness of mankind - A denial of the Saviour who came to seek and to save that which was lost -a denial of the Holy Spirit of God who calls people to Himself. Why? He has bolstered his authority as cleric by: -claiming all translations got it wrong and he alone has translated certain parts of scripture correctly. -continually “magnifying his office”. Why would someone bolster clericalism ?
