nicodemite
Sign in to saveA Nicodemite () is a person suspected of publicly misrepresenting their religious faith to conceal their true beliefs. The term is sometimes defined as referring to a Protestant who lived in a Catholic country and escaped persecution by concealing their Protestantism.
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Article
6 sectionsContents
- Origin
- Notable suspected Nicodemites
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
A Nicodemite () is a person suspected of publicly misrepresenting their religious faith to conceal their true beliefs. The term is sometimes defined as referring to a Protestant who lived in a Catholic country and escaped persecution by concealing their Protestantism.
The word is normally a term of disparagement. Introduced into 16th-century religious discourse, it persisted in use into the 18th century and beyond. Originally employed mostly by Protestants, it was usually applied to persons of publicly conservative religious position and practice who were thought to be secretly humanistic or reformed.