Ecclesial
/ɪˈkliːziəl/noun
Relating to a church or its organization, especially the Christian Church.
Did you know?The Greek ekklēsia originally referred to a civic assembly of citizens, not exclusively a religious gathering; early Christians adopted it for their community.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kelh₁-
“To call, summon, or shout aloud”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ekkalein
“To call out or summon”
5th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
ekklēsia
“An assembly of citizens summoned together”
Late Antiquity
Greek
ekklēsia
“The Christian community or Church”
4th–5th Century
Latin
ecclesia
“Church or Christian congregation”
Medieval English
English
ecclesie
“Church; ecclesiastical matters”
19th Century
English
ecclesial
“Relating to the church”