Difference between revisions of "Patriarch"
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Revision as of 17:04, December 5, 2008
The Patriarch is the highest-ranking bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church, who fulfills a role similar to the Pope's role in Christianity. The term is also used to refer to any supremely high-ranking male figure in a family or social group.
In Christianity, the patriarchs are a group of Jews from the Old Testament who ruled in the Second Millennium, between the Flood and the reign of King David:
These men had many sons and ruled over large families. Analogously, one might today use the term "patriarch" to refer to the male head of a large and influential family, such as George H.W. Bush or Ted Kennedy.