Faith & RitualGreek → English
Apostasy
/əˈpɒstəsi/noun
The abandonment of a religion, cause, or allegiance once held.
The Greek roots
ἀπό
apó
away from
στάσις
stásis
a standing
Literally: “a standing away”
The story of the word
In classical Greek this was a political word before it was a religious one: ἀπόστασις meant revolt, the defection of a city or a garrison from its ruler. The Septuagint translators applied it to Israel turning from God, and Christian writers narrowed it further to abandoning the faith. The penalty shifted with the meaning, from execution for treason to excommunication.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Late Latin → Old French → English
- First recorded
- 14th century
Same family
apostatestasisecstasystaticsystem
In a sentence
Leaving the party after twenty years was treated as apostasy rather than a change of mind.