Religious elder
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A religious elder is a person valued for his or her wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a religious group.
The concept of an elder was common in parts of the world where what is now called civilization had taken over. Elders are typical of societies where oral history plays a large part; in societies with patrilineal descent, elders are frequently male, whereas in societies with matrilineal descent, elders are often female. However, both men and women may be elders of a particular society.
