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Congregation is formally linked to three religions in this atlas: Christianity, Judaism and Sikhism, all three carrying their own note. Its own description states the general shape: "A congregation is a body of people who assemble, and unlike a parish it is defined by who turns up rather than by where they live."

Who Runs It, and Who It Answers To

Christianity's own note names the extreme case of self-governance: "Congregational polity makes the assembly answerable to no higher body, which is why disputes over property and doctrine in such churches are settled, if at all, in the civil courts." Judaism's own note: "A synagogue is constituted and funded by its own members and is not territorially assigned. It requires a quorum for certain prayers rather than a functionary." Sikhism's own note: "A gurdwara is run by an elected committee and its authority in Britain and North America is local, though the Rahit Maryada issued from Amritsar functions as an agreed standard of practice." All three are member-run rather than territorially assigned; only the Christian case is answerable to literally no authority beyond itself, since even Sikhism's local committees answer, informally, to one agreed standard from one place.

A Fourth Religion the Links Do Not Count, and One Word With Two Other Meanings

Its own description also states that "the synagogue and the mosque congregation work similarly," but Islam carries no formal link to Congregation in this atlas; the comparison is the description's own, not counted toward the three. The same description names an ambiguity worth keeping honest rather than tidying away: "the word carries two further and unrelated meanings in Catholic usage that regularly cause confusion: a Roman congregation was a department of the central administration, now retitled a dicastery, and a religious congregation is an order whose members take simple vows." One word, three religions' worth of assemblies, and two unrelated bureaucratic senses layered on top inside a single church.

Where To Read More

• CongregationCommunitiesThe body itself; three religions counted, member-run in every case and answerable to no higher body in only one
• ChristianityAbrahamic (Monotheistic)Congregational polity: answerable to no higher body, disputes settled in civil courts if at all
• JudaismAbrahamic (Monotheistic)Constituted and funded by its own members; requires a quorum rather than a functionary
• SikhismDharmic (Monotheistic)Run by an elected committee, locally authoritative, though the Amritsar Rahit Maryada functions as an agreed standard