History A-Level
Clerical Authority
What Clerical Authority means in History A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of Clerical Authority
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Reference: AQA
The priest played an indispensable, mediatory role, as only ordained clergy could perform the sacraments, notably transubstantiation during Mass.
Topics that use Clerical Authority
- 2C The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564 (A-level only) – The condition of the Church, c1500–1517 (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Church courts
- Clerical hierarchy
- Everyday religious experience and devotion
- Institutional corruption and moral decay
- Religious reform and intellectual movements
- Salvation and Grace
- Social tensions and anti-clericalism
- The tension between institutional abuse and popular faith
Using Clerical Authority in the exam
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