spiritual incest

noun

1. marriage or a sexual relationship between persons related by spiritual affinity or with a person under a solemn vow of chastity
2. the holding of two benefices by the same priest or bishop

Example Sentences

In the Orthodox Church, even the children of closely related godparents were kept from marrying, on the grounds that this amounted to spiritual incest.

From Literature

Carl Hasselmann and his sister Ellie, provincial, supersensitive Americans, dwell in the uneasy revulsions of a sort of spiritual incest.

From Time Magazine Archive

He brought into sharp outline the spiritual incest of the confessor, though he modestly refrained from specifying how far he had carried his profligacy.

From Project Gutenberg

The heads of that company, in the account which they render to the chancellor of this their sentence, testify that this curé was in truth accused of sorcery, but that he had been condemned to the flames as guilty, and convicted of spiritual incest with his penitent, Madelaine de la Palu.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a dynamic spiritual incest, more dangerous than sensual incest, because it is more intangible and less instinctively repugnant.

From Project Gutenberg