Editing Apostasy (section)

== History ==
As early as the 3rd century AD, apostasy against the [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian faith]] in the [[Sasanian Empire]] was criminalized. The high priest, Kidir, instigated [[pogroms]] against Jews, Christians, Buddhists, and others in an effort to solidify the hold of the state religion.<ref>{{cite book |last=Urubshurow |first=Victoria |title=Introducing World Religions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tBhrg3kYU-cC |page=78|isbn=978-0-9801633-0-8 |year=2008 |publisher=JBE Online Books }}</ref>

As the [[Roman Empire]] adopted Christianity as its state religion, apostasy became formally criminalized in the [[Theodosian Code]], followed by the [[Corpus Juris Civilis]] (the Justinian Code).<ref>{{cite book |last=Oropeza |first=B. J. |title=Paul and Apostasy: Eschatology, Perseverance, and Falling Away in the Corinthian Congregation |year=2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajbJhXCZApcC |isbn=978-3-16-147307-4 |page=10|publisher=Mohr Siebeck }}</ref> The Justinian Code went on to form the basis of law in most of Western Europe during the Middle Ages and so apostasy was similarly persecuted to varying degrees in Europe throughout this period and into the early modern period. Eastern Europe similarly inherited many of its legal traditions regarding apostasy from the Romans, but not from the Justinian Code.{{Citation needed|reason=no citation|date=December 2016}} Medieval sects deemed heretical such as the [[Waldensians]] were considered apostates by the Church.<ref name="Maxwell-Stuart 2011 p. 95">{{cite book | last=Maxwell-Stuart | first=P.G. | title=Witch Beliefs and Witch Trials in the Middle Ages: Documents and Readings | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing | year=2011 | isbn=978-1-4411-2805-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dinwK3qZUJ0C&pg=PA95 | access-date=2023-03-23 | page=95}}</ref>