Opposition to the institution, authority, or status of the priesthood as a religious class or hierarchy.
Combines anti- (against) + priesthood (the collective body of priests or the state of being a priest). Unlike antipriestcraft which targets the misuse of priestly power, antipriesthood directly opposes the existence or legitimacy of priests themselves as a separate class.
Protestant reformers and other religious movements used this term to argue that believers didn't need intermediaries (priests) between themselves and God—it's radical because it challenges the entire foundation of Catholic and Orthodox church hierarchy.
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