The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1870 page)

Presbyter
.

In the Church from the 2nd cent. on, a Christian minister of the second rank in the hierarchy of
bishop
–presbyter–
deacon
. It corresponds to the modern office of
priest
.

 
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(Gk.,
presbuteros
, ‘elder’). Forms of Christian Church order and doctrine which emerged from the
Reformation
(although in their own estimate they are in direct continuity from the New Testament), relying on the ministry and governance of elders. When the Swiss reformation reached Scotland, the quest for a Church order which would be both scriptural and open to constant reformation (the principle of
semper reformanda
, ‘always to be reformed’) led to Presbyterianism (the government by
presbyters
, parity of ministers and the participation of all church members) and beyond Scotland to Congregationalism (the autonomy of congregations). Reformed/Presbyterian Christianity has been characterized by constant division, to such an extent that the myriad Churches cannot be listed here. In the opposite direction, various alliances have been made, culminating in the formation in 1970 of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (Presbyterian and Congregational).

 
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Prester John
.

Legendary king of the orient. Stories of a Christian king who had defeated the Muslim powers in central Asia (possibly based on a real victory of a Turkish or Mongol chief) were known in Europe in the middle of the 12th cent. In 1165 a letter from ‘Prester [i.e. Presbyter] John’, who ruled ‘from the Tower of Babel to the sunrise’ began to circulate. It was an obvious fabrication of Western origin, but was wishfully believed at a time of ebbing Christian fortunes in the Holy Land.

 
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(Skt., ‘deceased’; P
li,
peta
). In Hinduism, the condition of the dead between death and joining the ancestors (
pit
). Their state is that of a kind of
purgatory
; and the correct funeral rites (
r
ddha
) are essential if the transition is to be effected, since otherwise the preta may threaten the living. The pretaloka is the sphere where they remain until the rites are completed.
In Buddhism, their domain constitutes one of the three undesirable forms of existence (
gati
). Their
karma
is good enough to keep them from the hells (
naraka
) but not sufficient to project them to
asura
. If they do not receive appropriate support from the living, they can become vengeful. Their condition is described in
Petavatthu
(
Khuddaka-nik
ya
).

 
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