3 Types of Adoration: The History, Meaning, and Purpose

The other day, I was in church and was singing a song of adoration to God. Then I began thinking, “honor we give to people is different than the praise we give to God.” Perhaps you’ve wondered the same thing. What makes the difference? Are there different types of adoration?

According to the Catholic Church, there are three types of adoration: latria, hyperdulia, and dulia. Latria is reserved for God alone. Hyperdulia is honor given to Mary, and dulia is the honor given to saints. The three types of worship are seen throughout Church history and play a significant role in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian practice.

Let’s explore each type of adoration in more detail and see what verses Catholics use to support them, while we dive into the history and origins of these three types of adoration.

Three Types of Adoration

1. Dulia

The first type of adoration is called Dulia. Dulia comes from the Greek word douleia meaning “slavery.” The Catholic Church defines Dulia as, “that secondary veneration which Catholics give to saints and angels as the servants and special friends of God.”¹ To support this, Catholics reference verses in the Bible that include

• Matthew 7:41: “Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.”
• Romans 13:7″ “Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor then honor.”
• Daniel 2:46: “Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.”
• 1 Chronicles 29:20: “Then David said to the whole assembly, ‘Praise the LORD your God.’ So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the LORD and the king.”
• Revelation 5:8: “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”

The Greek term douleia is used only 5 times in the entire Bible. The Dulia level of adoration is the regular form of honor and respect that is given to saints, angels, and relics. As such, it involves viewing the saints as role models and asking for their prayers.

2. Hyperdulia

The second type of adoration is called Hyperdulia. Hyperdulia is a subset of the Dulia adoration. The phrase “Hyper” means “above” or “beyond”. Thus, hyperdulia is directed to the Blessed Mother Mary.

The Catholic church defines hyperdulia as, “that higher veneration which we give to the Blessed Virgin as the most exalted of mere creatures, though of course infinitely inferior to God and incomparably inferior to Christ in His human nature.”²

Hyperdulia acknowledges Mary as the Mother of God and gives her the honor and reverence due her. It acknowledges her special place and role in salvation history as one chosen by God. To support this type of adoration, Catholics use Scripture such as,

• Luke 1:42: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”
• Luke 1:28: “And he came near her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
• Luke 11:27: “As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

3. Latria

The last type of adoration is called Latria. It comes from the Greek word latreuo which “refers to service or worship that is always religious in nature.”³ Thus, the Catholic church reserves Latria for God alone as the supreme worship.

The Catholic Pocked Dictionary and Cyclopedia defines it as, “Latria or supreme worship is due to God alone, and cannot be transferred to any creature without the horrible sin of idolatry.”⁴

God is certainly worthy of our worship. The Bible makes that abundantly and consistently clear throughout.

• 1 Chronicles 29:11: “Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD , is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”
• 1 Timothy 1:17: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
• Revelation 4:11: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
• Revelation 15:4: “Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
• Matthew 4:10: “Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.””

The biggest distinction between Latria and the other types of adoration is that Latria is sacrificial and nature and more inward focused. Dulia, and other types of adoration, is non-sacrificial and more ritualistic.

Now that we know what the three types of adoration are, where do they come from?

The History of the Three Types of Adoration

Dulia and Latria

Catholic doctrine on veneration of the saints gained prominence when Catholics started to reflect on the phrase, “I believe in the communion of the saints” in the Apostles’ Creed.

The distinction between Latria and Dulia can be seen as early as the 300s-400s AD with Augustine of Hippo and St. Jerome. St Jerome would write,

We, it is true, refuse to worship or adore, I say not [only] the relics of the martyrs, but even the sun and moon, the angels and archangels, the Cherubim and Seraphim…For we may not serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Still we honour the relics of the martyrs, that we may adore Him whose martyrs they are. We honour the servants that their honour may be reflected upon their Lord who Himself says:— he that receives you receives me . ⁵

As early as 787 AD the 2nd Council of Nicaea began to distinguish between Latria and Dulia adoration. It occurred after Leo III tried to suppress veneration of the saints and icons by imperial edict.

Later, in the late 1200s AD, Thomas Aquinas wrote in his Summa Theologica,

“In more technical terms used by the Tradition to draw this important distinction, devotion to Mary belongs to the veneration of dulia, or the homage and honor owed to the saints, both angelic and human in heaven, and not to latria, or the adoration and worship that can be given only to the Triune God and the Son incarnate. Because of her unique relationship to Christ in salvation history, however, the special degree of devotion due to Mary has traditionally been called hyperdulia. While latria is owed to her Son by reason of unity of his divine and human natures in the Person of the Word made flesh, hyperdulia is due to Mary as truly his Mother.”⁶

Proskynesis

Proskynesis is a form of veneration that refers to the physical gestures of reverence. Such gestures could include bowing or prostration, kissing, etc.

Instances of bowing or laying prostrate, even kissing, are found in the Old Testament in two ways. One in the cultural realm and one in the religious realm. In the the cultural realm it was a cultural practice of respect and honor for the time periods in history.

The other way was in the religious realm. There it refers to worship of the pagan gods or the worship of the one True God. Here, Israel was called to only bow down to the one true God.

Interestingly, the practice of proskynesis seems to be of Persian-Babylonian origin, in recognizing the divine authority in the ruler. Perhaps, that is why Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to the King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue.

From there it appears that proskynesis entered the Byzantine liturgy with the rise of Christianity in the the Byzantine empire.

Meaning and Purpose of Adoration

The dictionary defines adoration as:

1. the act of paying honor, as to a divine being; worship
2. reverent homage
3. fervent and devoted love.

Adoration is a type of prayer that focuses on expressing love and worship. Thus, they are sometimes called prayers of worship. Adoration praises God, His nature and character, without focusing on specific requests.

Key elements of prayers of adoration may include:

1. Praise and Worship: Adoration prayers often involve praising God for His attributes such as love, mercy, wisdom, and power. Worshipful language and expressions of awe are common.
2. Acknowledgment of God’s Majesty: Adoration emphasizes the transcendence and greatness of God. Prayers may include acknowledging God’s majesty as the Creator and sustainer of the universe.
3. Gratitude: Expressing thankfulness for the blessings and grace bestowed by God is a common theme in prayers of adoration. This may involve recognizing God’s goodness and faithfulness.
4. Submission: Adoration prayers may include a sense of humility and submission, recognizing the divine authority and surrendering to God’s will.

Thus, the sole purpose of adoration is to recognize God. Catholics would call this Latria and distinguish it from Dulia. This is a distinction that splits hairs and is not biblical.

For instance, every use of the Greek Word douleia in the New Testament has a negative connotation.

• Romans 8:15…”For you did not receive a spirit of slavery…“
• Romans 8:21…”that creation itself will be set free from its bondage…”
• Galatians 4:24…”This may be interpreted allegorically, for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to be slaves...”
• Galatians 5:1…”For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery...”
• Hebrews 2:15…”and liberate those who throughout their life were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Adoration, worship, and service are all synonymous. God is infinite and worthy of infinite praise, adoration, glory, and veneration. Why stop worshipping Him to venerate someone else?

For more information on the differences between dulia, hyperdulia, and latria check out this article from Got Questions? It concludes with a powerful statement, “Roman Catholic teaching urges the faithful to venerate saints—again, veneration falls short of worship in their teaching. Dulia and hyperdulia are shown in doing things like visiting shrines and altars for Mary or other saints as well as praying to them for help to meet various needs, including eternal salvation.

It seems clear that dulia and hyperdulia, even as defined by the Roman Catholic Church, should be reserved for God alone.”

References:

1. James J. McGovern, ed., Catholic Pocket Dictionary and Cyclopedia (Chicago: Extension Press, 1906), 72. ↩︎
2. ibid. ↩︎
3. William D. Mounce., Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 810. ↩︎
4. James J. McGovern, ed., Catholic Pocket Dictionary and Cyclopedia (Chicago: Extension Press, 1906), 72. ↩︎
5. St. Jerome, Letter 109, paragraph 1. ↩︎
6. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 103, a. 4; III, q. 25, a. 5. ↩︎