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Servant of God is a title given to certain people in several different religions, but in general usage the phrase "servant of God" is used as a description of a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. The Eastern Orthodox Churches, e.g., use this term to describe the believer approaching to receive the Eucharist, also called Holy Communion. The Arabic name Abdullah عبد الله literally means "servant of God".
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Roman Catholicism
Servant of God is the title given to a deceased person of the Roman Catholic Church whose life and works are being investigated in consideration for official recognition by the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church as a saint in heaven. This title should not be confused with Servus Servorum Dei (Servant of the Servants of God), one of the titles of the Pope.
Receiving the title Servant of God is the first of the four steps in the canonization process. The next step is being declared Venerable, upon a decree of heroicity or martyrdom by the honoree. This is followed by beatification, with the title of Blessed, after the confirmation of miracles attributed to the honoree. The final step is canonization, where the honoree would receive the title of Saint.
| Stages of Canonization in the Roman Catholic Church |
|---|
| Servant of God → Venerable → Blessed → Saint |
Hinduism
Guru, or Sat guru in various traditions of Hinduism is given the name Dasa, Servant of God, as for example the pure teacher, also called Uda ka Das, meaning the servant of the one God.1 In Sanskrit word 'dasa' (IAST dāsa) means servant, this meaning is retained in all Indian languages where monotheistic devotion to personal God is practiced. In Tamil, tontai, dasa, servant or "slave," commonly used to refer to devotees of Vishnu or Krishna.2 According to Gaudiya Vaishnava theology Smriti statement dāsa-bhūto harer eva nānyasvaiva kadācana means that living entities (bhuto) are eternally in the service (dasa) of the Supreme Lord (Hari).3 Thus designation for Vaishnava followers of svayam bhagavan Krishna was the status title dasa as part of their names as in Hari dasa.4
See also
- Abdullah, a common Arabic name, translated as "servant of God"
References
- ^ (2006) Essays And Lectures On The Religions Of The Hindus: Religious Sects of the Hindus V1. Kessinger Publishing, LLC, p. 353. ISBN 1-4286-1308-0.
- ^ Steven P. Hopkins (2007). An ornament for jewels: love poems for the Lord of Gods. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford University Press, p. 160. ISBN 0-19-532639-3.
- ^ Bhaktivedanta Swami, A. C. (1972). The Bhagavad-gita As It Is, second edition. New York: Macmillan.
- ^ Talbot, Cynthia (2001). Precolonial India in practice: society, region, and identity in medieval Andhra. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford University Press, p. 81. ISBN 0-19-513661-6.