Legal Definitions - conventicle

A conventicle refers to a secret or unauthorized gathering, often for religious worship, especially when such meetings are not permitted by law or are held in defiance of official regulations. It can also refer to the specific place where such a meeting takes place.

• Example 1 (Historical Religious Gathering): During a historical period in a certain country, a specific religious denomination was outlawed, and its followers faced persecution. A small group of these adherents would regularly gather in a secluded attic room of a private home to pray, read their scriptures, and conduct their worship services away from the watchful eyes of authorities.

  Explanation: This gathering in the attic would be considered a conventicle because it is a secret assembly for religious worship that is explicitly not sanctioned by the prevailing laws and could lead to legal repercussions for those involved.

• Example 2 (Clandestine Political Meeting): In a nation under strict authoritarian rule, where any form of organized dissent is severely punished, a small group of intellectuals and activists might meet in a hidden, soundproofed room within a seemingly ordinary building. Their purpose is to secretly discuss strategies for promoting human rights and sharing information that challenges state propaganda.

  Explanation: This assembly fits the definition of a conventicle as it is a clandestine and unauthorized gathering, held in secret due to its unlawful and subversive character under the prevailing regime.

• Example 3 (The Place Itself): Consider a remote, disused warehouse on the outskirts of a city that became known among a marginalized community as the only safe and discreet location to hold their forbidden weekly spiritual ceremonies, away from public scrutiny and potential harassment.

  Explanation: In this scenario, the warehouse itself would be referred to as a conventicle, as it is the specific place where these secret, unsanctioned, and often illicit meetings regularly occur.