Priesthood of all believers

The Priesthood of all believers is one of the pillars of Protestant Christianity, which distinguishes it from Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholicism, and Anglicanism. In each of these other branches of Christianity, the church body has ordained priests who are doctrinally authorized to perform functions that normally are forbidden to laymen. Where or when a priest cannot be summoned, some exceptions are allowed under extreme circumstances such as the performance of a baptism for someone close to death.

In theory Priesthood of all believers calls for a reconstruction of the community norms thought to exist in the infant Church. It seeks more evenly divided roles and responsibilities amongst all the members of the Christian body. An example of such a division is who would perform the various functions of Pastoral Care. In practice Martin Luther invoked the doctrine to point out the Catholic Church’s non-uniformity in its concern of all Christians, regardless of their position within the social order.

Martin Luther in his Address to a German Nobility first describes aspects of the Priesthood of all believers :

We are all alike Christians and have baptism, faith, the Spirit, and all things alike. If a priest is killed, a land is laid under an interdict. Why not in the case of a peasant? Whence comes this great distinction between those who are called Christians?

Balaam's ass was wiser than the prophet himself. If God then spoke by an ass against a prophet, why should he not be able even now to speak by a righteous man against the pope?

The protestant work ethic is one form of the Priesthood of all believers. In the wake of decades of ecumenical efforts by the Roman Catholic church and various protestant churches, some forms of this doctrine have begun to gain recognition within Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches--an example is Vatican II's Decree on the apostolate of the laity.

See also

Pastoral care