apostasy
Sign in to saveApostasy (, ; ) is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one's previous religious beliefs. One who undertakes apostasy is known as an apostate. Undertaking apostasy is called apostatizing (or apostasizing – also spelled apostacizing). The term apostasy is used by sociologists to mean the renunciation and criticism of, or opposition to, a person's former religion, in a technical sense, with no pejorative connotation.
AI overview
Apostasy is when someone formally leaves or renounces their religion, or adopts beliefs that contradict their previous faith. It matters because the term describes an important social and personal phenomenon that sociologists study to understand how and why people change their religious commitments.
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Article
28 sectionsContents
- Sociological definitions
- Human rights
- History
- Atrocity story
- Apostasy and contemporary criminal law
- Baháʼí Faith
- Christianity
- Penalties
- Jehovah's Witnesses
- Latter-day Saints (Mormonism)
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Islam
- Origin
- Public opinion
- Apostasy laws
- Public opinion
- Judaism
- Sikhism
- Other religious movements
- Examples
- Historical persons
- Recent times
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Apostasy (, ; ) is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one's previous religious beliefs. One who undertakes apostasy is known as an apostate. Undertaking apostasy is called apostatizing (or apostasizing – also spelled apostacizing). The term apostasy is used by sociologists to mean the renunciation and criticism of, or opposition to, a person's former religion, in a technical sense, with no pejorative connotation.
Occasionally, the term is also used metaphorically to refer to the renunciation of a non-religious belief or cause, such as a political party, social movement, or sports team. The term has also been used in the Catholic Church to refer to abandonment of the clerical or monastic state, without leaving the religion itself.