church visible

American  

noun

Theology.

1. the entire body of Christian believers on earth.

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Etymology

Origin of church visible

First recorded in 1555–65

Example Sentences

Analysts did this by conducting a reverse image search a church visible in the background of the video, which matched to penal colony number six.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2022

They want to make the church visible, so they wear clerical collars or other religious garb, like the albs, or white robes, that lay Christians may wear.

From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2011

The origin of this custom must be sought in the ancient practice of typifying the church visible by a virgin or bride.

From Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah — Volume 2 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

Now there is no church visible but that which is particular; the universal being utterly invisible, and known to none but God.

From Works of John Bunyan — Volume 02 by Bunyan, John