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[German Version] I. Religious Studies Etymologically the term priest derives from Greek πρεσβύτερος/ presbýteros, “elder”; it denotes a religious functionary, especially an expert responsible for the cult. The Greek word did not originally have this meaning. A second semantic strand puts a priest (Gk ἱερεύς/ hiereús, Lat. sacerdos) in charge of things that are sacred (Sacred and profane). The characteristics that comparative religion usually associates with priesthood are often transferred globally from Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism, to other religions and cultures. But it makes little sense to define the protean manifestations of priesthood and their ideological or theological self-conceptions essentialistically across various religions. It is more productive to analyze and reconstruct the functions of religious specialists. – Typologically, the figure of the priest is distinct from ¶ that of the prophet (Prophets and prophecy: I), the healer, the layman (Laity), the mystic (Mysticism), and the founder. But such typologies are valid only for individual cultures in specific historical phases (e.g. traditional, secularized, or postmodern). Priesthood must be studied in the context of particular cultures as a unique form of religious specialization with regard to (1) training and appointment, (2) social status, (3) spheres of activity, and (4) social functions. 1. Training and appointment. Unlike charismatic leaders (Charisma: I; M. Weber), priests un…