RELIGION |
POSITION |
ON ENVELOPE |
SALUTATION |
DIRECT ADDRESS |
Afro-CarribbeanSpiritualities: Voudun |
Manbo Asogwe(female)
Hounjan (male) |
Manbo AsogweHounjan |
Dear Manbo,Dear Houjan,
Dear Asogwe |
Manbo Asogwe;Hounjan; |
Afro-CaribbeanSpiritualities:Yoruba-Lukumi |
Babalorisha (men)Iyalorisa (women) |
BabalorishaIyalorisa |
Dear Babalorisha,Dear Iyalorisa |
Customs vary |
Bahá’i |
No clergy; the host of a Baha’i gathering should be addressed just as s/he would be addressed in theworkplace. |
Buddhism: Pureland |
Priest |
The Reverend |
Dear Sensei ;Dear Rev. |
Sensei |
Buddhism: Tibetan |
Abbot; Lama; |
His EminenceHis Holiness |
Dear Rinpoche |
Your EminenceYour Holiness
Rinpoche |
Buddhism: Tibetan:Gelug lineage |
Lama (most lamasare also monks),
Abbot Geshey
(Doctor of Buddist
Philosophy),
Dorampa,
Tsogrampa,
Lharampa (Doctor of
Buddhist
Philosophy of the
highest level) |
His Holiness Geshey |
Dear Rinpoche |
Your EminenceYour Holiness
Rinpoche |
Buddhism: Tibetan: Kagyu lineage |
Monk; Abbot; Gyalwa Karmapa [head of this lineage] |
His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa [Abbot] The Venerable Rinpoche |
Your Holiness Dear Ven. |
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Buddhism: Tibetan: Nyingma lineage |
Monk; Abbot; Rinpoche |
[Head] His Holiness Rinpoche |
Your Holiness |
Rinpoche |
Buddhism: Tibetan: Sakya lineage |
Monk; Abbot/Rinpoche |
His EminenceHis Holiness |
Your Holiness |
Rinpoche |
Buddhism: Theravada |
Bhikku; Monk |
The Venerable |
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Buddhism: Zen |
Roshi |
Roshi |
Dear Roshi ; Dear Roshi |
Roshi; Sensei |
Christianity: Anglican; Episcopalian
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Priest (who may be functioning as a Rector; Curate; Vicar; Chaplain) |
The Reverend |
Dear Fr.* When the priest is a woman, practice varies. Some prefer “Dear Mother Smith”; others prefer “Dear Elizabeth.” Beginning a letter simply “Greetings” might be easiest. |
Fr. ; Fr. ;*Mother (or, according to her preference, see left). |
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Deacon |
The Reverend Deacon |
Dear Deacon |
Deacon ; or, Deacon |
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Bishop |
The Right Reverend |
Dear Bishop ; Your Grace |
Bishop; or Your Grace |
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Dean (of a cathedral or seminary) |
The Very Reverend |
Dear Dean |
Dean |
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Archdeacon |
The Venerable FN LN |
Dear Archdeacon LN |
Archdeacon; Fr. ; Fr. |
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Presiding Bishop |
The Most Reverend |
Dear Bishop -or- Your Grace |
Bishop -or-Bishop -or- Your Grace |
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Nun, Monk |
Sister, OSH**Brother , BSG**
(If also ordained, it would also be proper to write “The Reverend Ellen Francis, OSH”, and, “The Reverend Tobias Haller, BSG”)
***OSH and BSG indicate the order to which these exemplars belong |
Dear Sister ; Dear Brother |
Sister; Sister Brother; Brother |
Christianity: Church of Christ (not United Church of Christ) |
Minister |
Titles are not used; leaders are addressed as would anyone in the workplace. |
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Christianity: Ethiopian Orthodox |
Bishop or Archbishop |
His Holiness Abuna |
Your Holiness Abuna |
Your Holiness |
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Priest |
Qes |
Dear Qes |
Qes |
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Chief Cantor |
Marigeta |
Dear Marigeta |
Marigeta |
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Religious Scribe or Scholar |
Dabtarra |
Dear Dabtarra |
Dabtarra |
Christianity: Jehovah’s Witnesses |
While the term “minister” is used, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that a clergy class and special titles are improper |
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Brother Smith; Mr. Smith |
Christianity: Latter-day Saints (Mormons) |
President (Apostle) |
President Gordon B. Hinckley |
Dear President Hinckley |
President Hinckley |
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Bishop |
Bishop |
Bishop |
Bishop |
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Elder (includes male missionaries) |
Elder |
Elder |
Elder |
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Female missionaries |
Sister |
Sister |
Sister |
Christianity: Orthodox |
The hiearchy of each autocephalous Orthodox Church (and Middle Eastern and North African Catholic churches) has its own peculiar set of titles; there is no standard title for the head of a Church. |
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Archbishop |
His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch |
Your All Holiness |
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Patriarch |
His Beatitude NAME #, Pope and Patriarch of Location |
Your Eminence, Your Holiness |
Your Eminence, Your Holiness |
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Archbishop |
His Beatitude NAME, Archbishop of LOCATION, Metropolitan LOCATION |
Your Beatitude |
Your Beatitude |
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Bishop |
The Right ReverendNAME, Bishop of Location |
Your Grace |
Your Grace |
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Archimandrite |
The Very Reverend Archimandrite -OR- Archimandrite |
Dear Fr. |
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Igumen; Abbot |
The Very Reverend Igumen -OR- Igumen -OR- The Very Reverend Abbot -OR- Abbot |
Dear Fr. |
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Abbess |
The Very Reverend Abbess |
Dear Mother |
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Hiermonk; Protopresbyter; Archpriest |
The Reverend |
Dear Fr. |
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Christianity: Pentecostal, Holiness Traditions |
Minister; some groups have an array of religious leaders with various titles, such as Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, among others. |
The Reverend -OR- Rev. |
Dear Pastor |
Pastor“Reverend” is used frequently, but is technically incorrect. (Technically, “Reverend” is an adjective, not a noun.)
Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist |
Christianity: Protestants, Free Church (including Lutheran, Adventist, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, Disciples of Christ, Mennonite, United Church of Christ; many others) |
Minister |
The Reverend -OR- Rev. |
Dear Pastor |
Pastor“Reverend” is used frequently, but is technically incorrect. (Technically, “Reverend” is an adjective, not a noun.) |
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Bishop |
Bishop -OR- The Rev. Bishop |
Dear |
Bishop; Bishop |
Christianity: Roman Catholic |
Pope |
His Holiness, Pope John Paul II -OR- His Holiness, the Pope |
Your Holiness -OR- Most Holy Father |
Your Holiness-OR- Most Holy Father |
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Cardinal |
His Eminence Cardinal |
Your Eminence |
Your Eminence |
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Archbishop |
Most Reverend |
Your Excellency |
Your Excellency |
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Bishop |
Most Reverend |
Your Excellency |
Your Excellency |
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Abbot |
Right Reverend (add religious order initials) |
Dear Father |
Father |
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Pronotary Apostolic |
Rev. Msgr. |
Rev. Msgr. |
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Priest |
Rev. |
Dear Reverend |
Father |
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Religious Order Priest |
Rev. (add religious order initials) |
Dear Reverend Father |
Father |
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Deacon |
Rev. Mr. |
Dear Deacon |
Deacon |
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Brother (monk) |
Brother |
Dear Brother |
Brother |
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Sister (nun) |
Sister |
Dear Sister |
Sister |
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Superior of Sisterhood |
Reverend MotherFN (add religious order initials) |
Dear Reverend Mother |
Reverend Mother |
Christian Science |
No ordained clergy |
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Hinduism |
Priest (male) |
Swami |
Dear Swami |
Swami |
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Priest (female) |
Swamini |
Dear Swamini |
Swamini |
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Leaders very ‘high’ on the ladder of spirituality |
SwamijiGuruji
Guru Maharaj
Gurudev
Mataji |
Dear SwamjiDear Guruji
Dear Guru Maharaj
Dear Gurudev
Dear Mataji |
SwamjiGuruji
Guru Maharaj
Gurudev
Mataji |
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Secular or semi-religious, theoretical or philosophical leaders, or highly respected priests |
Panditji, Pandit, Acharyaji, Acharya, Shastriji, Shastri(same forms of use as above; word choice depends on region of India) |
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Common forms of address – always acceptable (male) (female) |
Shree, Shreeman, Shreeyut, SriShreemati, or Soubhagyavati |
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ALSO |
Mr. or Mrs. will always be acceptable in an American context |
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Female renunciates |
Sadhvi |
Dear Sadhvi |
Sadhvi |
Islam |
Imam |
Imam |
Dear Imam |
Imam; Imam |
Jain |
No official clergy. Serious believers become monks or nuns, called Sadhu (male) and Sadhvi (female). Non-initiates form the classes of laypersons. (Shravak and Shravika). |
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Judaism |
Rabbi |
RabbiOriental Jews (from Near Eastern countries) may call their rabbis “Hakam,” “Gaon,” or “Mori.” |
Dear Rabbi |
Rabbi; Rabbi |
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Cantor |
Cantor |
Dear Cantor |
Cantor; Cantor |
Quaker/Society of Friends |
No clergy; a Quaker should be addressed just as he/she would be addressed in the workplace. |
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Scientology |
Minister |
Reverend, Executive Director of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles (or whatever the person’s position in the church hierarchy is) |
Dear Reverend |
ReverendIf you are unsure of the person’s official title. Mr., Mrs., or Ms. is appropriate. |
Shinto |
Priest |
The Reverend -OR- Sensei |
Dear Reverend; Dear Sensei |
Sensei; |
Sikhism (No ordained clergy) |
Since Sikhs do not have an ordained clergy or a priestly class, these titles are used for both religious leaders and laity. |
Males: SardarFemales: Sardarni
Note: Often for males, “Bhai” can be used in place of “Sardar”. |
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If one wants to be extremely polite, as is the manner in Punjab, the Sikh homeland, then one would suffix the honorific “Ji” after the last name. This custom is observed most frequently in conversation.Generally, during normal conversation, the first or last names are not always used. Instead, one would use Sardar Sahib (for males) and Sardarani Sahiba (for females). Here one would not use “Ji” as a suffix since “Sahib” and “Sahiba” take its place instead. |
Unitarian Universalist |
The Reverend |
Dear Pastor ; Dear |
Pastor“Reverend” is used frequently, but is technically incorrect. (Technically, “Reverend” is an adjective, not a noun.) |
Zoroastrian |
Dastoor; Dastur |
Dastoor -OR-Dastoorji |
Dear Dastoorji |
Dastoorji; Dastoorji |