a man of the cloth
noun phrase

- a man who is a priest or minister

- a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of a Christian church

- a male priest, minister or religious leader, especially of a Christian church

Merriam-Webster, Dictionary Com, The Oxford Dictionary

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The etymology of man of the cloth is quite interesting. The expression originated in the late 17th century (around the 1690s) and refers to the distinctive clothing worn by clergy members. The "cloth" specifically denotes the special fabric or garments that identified someone as a member of the clergy and set them apart from laypeople.

Clergy were historically identified by their special vestments, such as the clerical collar, cassock, surplice, or in some traditions, specific robes or habits.

In Medieval and Renaissance periods, the quality, colour, and type of cloth a person wore was a clear indicator of their social status and profession. Clergy members often wore black cloth (in Protestant traditions) or specific liturgical colours and materials.

The phrase remains in use today, though it's somewhat archaic or formal in modern English. Since so many women are clergy these day, it is also be appropriate to say "a woman of the cloth”.

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DARWIN’S DIVINE DETOUR

It is a curious twist of fate that one of the most influential scientists in history — the man whose ideas would forever alter humanity's understanding of life on Earth — once aspired to become a man of the cloth. Long before On the Origin of Species shook the foundations of biology and theology alike, a young Charles Darwin was more interested in sermons than in species.

In 1828, he enrolled at Christ’s College, Cambridge with the intention of joining the priesthood. The Church was a respected path for men of his social class, and Darwin was, at the time, a devout believer. He was deeply influenced by natural theology — the belief that the intricacies of the natural world were evidence of divine design. Observing the wonders of nature was, in his view, a form of spiritual reverence.

But this was not to be.

In 1831, Darwin accepted a position as the naturalist aboard HMS Beagle, a voyage that would last five years and take him around the globe. It was during this journey — collecting fossils in South America, observing finches in the Galápagos Islands, and pondering geological formations — that Darwin’s worldview began to shift. The more he observed, the more he questioned. Why did similar species vary slightly from island to island? Why did extinct creatures resemble modern ones?

Upon returning to England, Darwin spent over two decades gathering data, corresponding with other scientists, and refining his ideas. In 1859, he finally published On the Origin of Species, introducing his theory of evolution by natural selection. The book didn’t just propose a new scientific model — it presented a challenge to the very idea of fixed, divinely created species. While Darwin was cautious and respectful in tone, the implications of his work were unmistakable. If species changed over time through natural processes, what then of the biblical account of creation?

It's ironic that a man, once devoted to a life in service of scripture, instead offered a vision of life that would profoundly unsettle traditional religious teachings. Charles Darwin did not take up the pulpit, but his legacy provoked debates in churches and seminaries for generations. In seeking to understand nature, he became the author of one of history’s most disruptive — and illuminating — scientific revolutions.

Helga & Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

abbé, abbot, altar servant, apostle, archbishop, archdeacon, bible thumper, bishop, black robe, blackcoat, cardinal, cassock-wearer, chaplain, chief priest, church leader (official) churchman, churchwoman, cleric, clerical (collar), clergyman (woman), clergyperson, collared one, confessor, curate, dean, deacon, deaconess, devil dodger, ecclesiastic, evangelist, evangelizer, evangelical, father confessor, follower of the calling, first estate, friar, god-botherer, god's servant, gospel minister, high priest, holy joe, holy man, holy roller, imam, lay preacher, man in black, man of god, MAN OF THE CLOTH, member of clergy, men/women of god, men/women of the cloth, missioner, monk, monkhood, monsignor, moralizer, ordained, padre, parish priest, parson, pastor, person of the cloth, prelate, preacher (man), predicant, presbyter, priest, priesthood, proselytiser, pulpit pounder, pulpiteer, rabbi, rector, religious leader (teacher), reverend, servant of god, shepherd of souls, spiritual leader (shepherd), the first estate, the ministry, the monkhood, the ordained, vicar, wearer of the cloth, worker in god's vineyard

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation today, say something like:

“But for his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin might have become A MAN OF THE CLOTH.”

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P L E A S E   S U P P O R T   O W A D

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