pentarchy
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈpɛnˌtɑrki/
- The decision to reorganize the church led to the establishment of a pentarchy where five bishops shared the leadership roles.
Examples
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Indeed, although Justinian was responsible for the promotion of the pentarchy, he consistently undermined patriarchal independence in favor of a unified church that paralleled his vision for a unified empire.
Academic text (2009) -
First, there was only one Church back then, of which Rome was only one out of the established Pentarchy.
Blog text (26) -
For more on the pentarchy and Rome's reception, see Meyendorff, Imperial Unity 54-66.
Academic text (2009) -
Although Gregory did acknowledge the pentarchy elsewhere, it is worth noting that he never made an explicit appeal to it in the controversy with John, nor did he ever solicit the assistance of the Patriarch of Jerusalem in the diplomatic contest.
Academic text (2009) -
Historically, the concept of pentarchy illustrated how five major churches collaborated to maintain unity in Christian governance.
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In discussions about early church leadership, the pentarchy concept is often highlighted as an example of shared authority among five key figures.
Synonyms
16
8.9
A small group of people who have most power in a country or organization
Surface Forms
Morphology
pentarchy = pentarch (transparent) = penta + archy
Formed from the productive combining forms 'penta-' (five) and '-archy' (rule), so the meaning 'rule by five' is directly derivable from its parts.
Etymology
The word pentarchy comes from the Greek parts pente meaning 'five' and -archy meaning 'rule', the same -archy you see in monarchy and anarchy. So a pentarchy is a system where power is shared by five leaders.