Concept
Parish
Overview
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or more curates, and who operates from a parish church. In England, a parish historically often covered the same geographical area as a manor. Its association with the parish church remains paramount.
By extension the term parish refers not only to the territorial entity but to the people of its community or congregation as well as to church property within it. In England this church property was technically in ownership of the parish priest ex officio, vested in him on his institution to that parish.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
In the original texts
Passages from public-domain books where Parish is discussed.
If any of the contributors become bankrupt or insolvent, the collector is obliged to advance his tax; and the whole parish is reimposed next year, in order to reimburse the collector. If the collector himself should become bankrupt, the parish which elects him must answer for his conduct to the receiver-general of the election. But, as it might be troublesome for the receiver to prosecute the whole parish, he takes…
Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
names the idea; states what it is; opens on it
No man subject to such a tax, it is evident, can ever be certain, before he is assessed, of what he is to pay. He cannot even be certain after he is assessed. If any person has been taxed who ought to have been exempted, or if any person has been taxed beyond his proportion, though both must pay in the mean time, yet if they complain, and make good their complaints, the whole parish is reimposed next year, in order…
Adam Smith, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
names the idea; states what it is; opens on it
But here I am surprised, that he should reason in so loose and an inaccurate a manner. For, as there may be 7000 parishes in the villages and open country, to infer from the numbers in nine of them that are contiguous, and that all of them together do not make a very large parish, many being much larger as to the number of houses, and where there may be particular circumstances; I say, to infer from them what the…
Various, Philosophical transactions, Vol. L. Part I. For the year 1757.
names the idea; states what it is; opens on it
The Streets and Highways within the Limits of the act to be repaired distinct from the other Parts of the Parish. XX.
Great Britain, Acts of 30° & 43° Geo. III. relating to a district in the Parish of Saint Luke, Chelsea, called Hans Town
names the idea; the book is about it; opens on it
If the country purposed to be erected into a commonwealth be of more narrow extent, we may diminish the number of counties; but never bring them below thirty. If it be of greater extent, it were better to enlarge the parishes, or throw more parishes into a county, than increase the number of counties. Let all the freeholders of ten pounds a year in the country, and all the householders worth two hundred pounds in…
David Hume, Hume's Political Discourses
names the idea; opens on it
Philosophers who discussed Parish
Related ideas
- Eastern Orthodox Church
- Methodism
- Manorialism
- Poland
- Lutheranism
- Scotland
- Old French
- United States
- Anglo-Saxons
- Reformation
- Christianity
- Church of England
- Catholic Church
- Motu proprio
- England
- Romanization of Greek
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Conservatism.