Last night I watched Bill Moyers' TV show, NOW. Moyers interviewed a Greek scholar who stated that in ancient Greece there were two guiding principles, justice, and reverence. He used Achilles' returning Hector's body to his family for proper burial as an example of the reverent attitude. I equate his point to Martin Buber's "I and Thou" idea, but whereas Buber spoke mainly from a religious perspective, the scholar, Paul Woodward, seemed to suggest that the ancient Greek concept was broader than an ecclesiastical one. So, how do you people view the term, reverence? Museamuse, as our resident Greek scholar, can you help? Is this concept the opposite of hubris, or is it something else

Asa, such an interesting post. I googled around a bit, and, interestingly, most of the google sites are religious based. Yet, I too see reverence as being more general than that. Religious or not, we all honor people. In fact, my AHD doesn't mention a religious connotation until definition # 4. Its first definition is: A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love; veneration. I am wondering if I can respect or honor or revere someone--but not love him/her? I think not.

I, too, see 'reverent' as having a broader meaning than the one used in religious contexts. For example, 'Richard has a reverent attitude towards beer.' Wouldn't you say?

M-W dates revere to circa 1661, and says it comes from the Latin revereri (re- + vereri, to fear. It defines it as, "to show devoted deferential honor to : regard as worthy of great honor <revere the aged> <revere tradition>" (http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary)

I see nothing inherently religious about the definition or the examples given.

M-W continues: "synonyms REVERE, REVERENCE, VENERATE, WORSHIP, ADORE mean to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully." It then explains the difference in these terms. It's interesting that revere and reverence can be synonyms of each other. I hadn't realized that reverence could be a verb.

M-W gives four definitions for the noun reverence, and only one of them is religious: "one held in reverence -- used as a title for a clergyman"

Tinman

one held in reverence -- used as a title for a clergyman"
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Somehow I don't think Ambrose Bierce would have defind it that way!

In the Quotation thread Shufitz posted a link to a great site. I looked up "reverence" on that site, and most of the quotes were religious. However, I liked this one:
"Reverence is an ennobling sentiment; it is felt to be degrading only by the vulgar mind, which would escape the sense of its own littleness by elevating itself into an antagonist of what is above it. He that has no pleasure in looking up is not fit so much as to look down." - Washington Allston

quote:

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Originally posted by Asa Lovejoy:
one held in reverence -- used as a title for a clergyman"
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Somehow I don't think Ambrose Bierce would have defind it that way!

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How right you are, Asa! From "The Devil's Dictionary":

Reverence, noun. The spiritual attitude of a man to a god and a dog to a man.

From "The Devil's Dictionary":

Reverence, noun. The spiritual attitude of a man to a god and a dog to a man.
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In my opinion, we might be reverent in our awe towards the faithfulness of some dogs, so maybe it goes both ways.