Some people suspect all religious leaders of sanctimonious preaching. On one hand I agree with this sentiment, while on the other hand I believe it is patently false.
Sanctimonious means hypocritically pious or devout. Those spouting a strict moralist code are often sanctimonious censors as they too have their own moral failures and issues to deal with in life, often trying to keep them hidden from public view. When their sins come to light it often justifies their sanctimonious description.
Sanctimonious comes from the Latin word sanctimonia, meaning holiness. In the early 1600s, when sanctimonious entered the English language, it was used to describe someone who is truly holy or pious. Of all the bishops in the country, the archbishop was truly a sanctimonious leader. The local councilman, who acted as judge for the ward, was considered a sanctimonious man, as he fairly considered all circumstances before issuing a ruling.
However, it was not long before sanctimonious developed an opposite connotation. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) used both senses of the word. In The Tempest Shakespeare refers to the sanctimonious ceremonies of marriage, implying the rites are a holy, sacred ritual. In Measure for Measure he writes, “Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the Ten Commandments, but scraped one out of the table.” In this instance Shakespeare implies the pirate has a ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude, as he seemed to have viewed the commandment on stealing inconvenient to follow while promoting the Ten Commandments as a moral code by which to live.
Today sanctimonious is used only in the hypocritical sense. We do not need sanctimonious political leaders to decide what is best for us. Fairytales were always a bit of a scam, enticing us with happy endings to accept their sanctimonious morality. Jordan's childhood chum, Bobby, is a sanctimonious prude who likes to lecture Jordan about how he should live his life.
Sanctimoniousness has often been associated with religious preachers. In fact, a synonym of the word is ‘churchy.’ The dictionary defines churchy as marked by strict conformity or zealous adherence to the forms or beliefs of a church. However, if someone uses the term, it usually implies a negative connotation of preachers or religious beliefs. The main speaker at the conference had a churchy tone when presenting views of ethical behaviour.
So, I do agree that many preachers have sanctimonious sermons. If the word is used in the original sense, it is an attribute that is important to possess for any pastor. Sadly, I must admit that many preachers orate sanctimonious homilies. In other words, they preach a ‘holier than thou’ attitude without keeping a pious lifestyle themselves.
The Bible lists the important qualities of a preacher as “above reproach, not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination, not a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, and disciplined.” (Titus 1:6-8)
It is true that no one can live up to that standard perfectly, for all have sinned and fallen short. But preachers must keep a check on their personal lives to avoid the negative connotation of sanctimonious and be known as holy and pious, the initial implication of the word.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
