Early religious leader’s time imprisoned by Lord (5)
I believe the answer is:
peter
'early religious' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?
'leader's time imprisoned by lord' is the wordplay.
'leader' suggests taking the first letters.
'imprisoned by' is an insertion indicator.
'lord' becomes 'peer' (peer is a kind of lord).
The initial letter of 'time' is 't'.
't' going inside 'peer' is 'PETER'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for peter that I've seen before include "till down under" , "emperor" , "Early Pope" , "Play high card before low" , "Lord -- Wimsey (Sayers)" .)