Medieval Glossary

Tertiary Orders

These were orders of laymen and laywomen that were attached to the Dominicans or Franciscans. These orders were formally recognized by the church in 1289. Tertiary orders were guided by friars in their prayers and rituals but they remained active in family life and worldly affairs.

Related term(s): Order; Laity; Friar; Secular; Monk; Monasticism
Category: Western Christianity
Added: 08.07.05
Contributor(s): Natalie Kohout
Source information: Hollister, C. Warren and Judith M. Bennett. Medieval History: A Short History. 9th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2002.

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