Liturgists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who design or lead religious ceremonies and rituals
2. Those who study, develop, or enhance liturgical practices within various faith traditions
3. Experts in the art and theology of public worship, often guiding congregations in spiritual expressions

Etymology: "Liturgists" is the plural of "liturgist," which is simply the English noun "liturgy" with the suffix "-ist" attached. The suffix has a long pedigree: it entered Middle English from Latin "-ista," which had itself been borrowed from the Greek "-istēs," a marker for a person who practices or follows a particular craft or belief. Along the way it passed through Old French, and it was attached to all sorts of roles, from the artist to the specialist. The base word "liturgy" carries a more striking history. It comes from Greek "leitourgia," literally "public service" or work performed for the people, a term that in Athens referred to a wealthy citizen funding a civic duty such as a festival or a warship. Only later did the word narrow to the formal worship of a church. So a liturgist, in the sense of someone guiding a congregation's worship, is distantly a descendant of an ancient obligation to serve the public at one's own expense.

Synonyms: clergymen, ministers, priests