Editing Apostasy (section)

== Christianity ==
[[File:Giotto-KissofJudas.jpg|280px|right|thumb|Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. [[Judas Iscariot]], one of the Twelve Disciples, became an apostate.<ref name="Barnett">Paul W. Barnett, ''Dictionary of the Later New Testament and its Developments,'' "Apostasy," 73.</ref>]]
{{Main|Apostasy in Christianity}}
{{See also|Apostata capiendo|Backsliding}}The Christian understanding of apostasy is "a willful falling away from, or rebellion against, Christian 'truth.' Apostasy is the rejection of Christ by one who has been a Christian&nbsp;...", but the [[Reformed Church]]es teach that, in contrast to the [[Conditional preservation of the saints|conditional salvation]] of [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]], [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], [[Methodism|Methodist]], [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox]], and [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodox]] theology, salvation cannot be lost once accepted ([[perseverance of the saints]]).<ref>Richard A. Muller, ''Dictionary of Greek and Latin Theological Terms: Drawn Principally from Protestant Scholastic Theology'', 41. ''The Tyndale Bible Dictionary'' defines apostasy as a "Turning against God, as evidenced by abandonment and repudiation of former beliefs. The term generally refers to a deliberate renouncing of the faith by a once sincere believer&nbsp;..." ("Apostasy," Walter A. Elwell and Philip W. Comfort, editors, 95).</ref><ref name="Koons2020">{{cite book |last1=Koons |first1=Robert C. |title=A Lutheran's Case for Roman Catholicism: Finding a Lost Path Home |date=23 September 2020 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-7252-5751-1 |language=English |quote=Since Lutherans agree with Catholics that we can lose our salvation (by losing our saving faith), the assurance of salvation that Lutheranism provides is a highly qualified one.}}</ref><ref name="Lipscomb1915">{{cite book |last1=Lipscomb |first1=Thomas Herber |title=The Things Methodists Believe |date=1915 |publisher=Publishing House M.E. Church, South, Smith & Lamar, agents |page=13 |language=English|quote=Methodists  hold further, as distinct from Baptists, that, having once entered into a state of grace, it is possible to fall therefrom.}}</ref>

"Apostasy is the antonym of conversion; it is deconversion."<ref>Paul W. Barnett, ''Dictionary of the Later New Testament and its Developments,'' "Apostasy," 73. [[Scot McKnight]] says, "Apostasy is a theological category describing those who have voluntarily and consciously abandoned their faith in the God of the covenant, who manifests himself most completely in Jesus Christ" (''Dictionary of Theological Interpretation of the Bible'', "Apostasy," 58).</ref> [[B. J. Oropeza]] states that apostasy is a "phenomenon that occurs when a religious follower or group of followers turn away from or otherwise repudiate the central beliefs and practices they once embraced in a respective religious community."<ref>B. J. Oropeza, ''In the Footsteps of Judas and Other Defectors'' :Apostasy in the New Testament Communities, vol. 1 (Eugene: Cascade, 2011), p. 1; idem, ''Jews, Gentiles, and the Opponents of Paul'': Apostasy in the New Testament Communities, vol. 2 (2012), p. 1; idem, ''Churches under Siege of Persecution and Assimilation'': Apostasy in the New Testament Communities, vol.3 (2012), p. 1.</ref> The [[Ancient Greek]] noun ἀποστασία ''apostasia'' ("rebellion, abandonment, state of apostasy, defection")<ref>Walter Bauder, "Fall, Fall Away," ''The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology'' (''NIDNTT''), 3:606.</ref> is found only twice in the New Testament (Acts 21:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:3).<ref>Michael Fink, "Apostasy," in the ''Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary'', 87. In Acts 21:21, "Paul was falsely accused of teaching the Jews apostasy from Moses&nbsp;... [and] he predicted the great apostasy from Christianity, foretold by Jesus (Matt. 24:10–12), which would precede 'the Day of the Lord' (2 Thess. 2:2f.)" (D. M. Pratt, ''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'', "Apostasy," 1:192). Some pre-tribulation adherents in Protestantism believe that the apostasy mentioned in 2 Thess. 2:3 can be interpreted as the pre-tribulation [[Rapture]] of all Christians. This is because apostasy means departure (translated so in the first seven English translations) (Dr. Thomas Ice, ''Pre-Trib Perspective'', March 2004, Vol.8, No.11).</ref> However, "the concept of apostasy is found throughout Scripture."<ref>Pratt, ''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'', 1:192.</ref> ''The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery'' states that "There are at least four distinct images in Scripture of the concept of apostasy. All connote an intentional defection from the faith."<ref>"Apostasy," 39.</ref> These images are: Rebellion; Turning Away; Falling Away; Adultery.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Dictionary of Biblical Imagery'', 39.</ref>
* Rebellion: "In classical literature apostasia was used to denote a coup or defection. By extension the Septuagint always uses it to portray a rebellion against God (Joshua 22:22; 2 Chronicles 29:19)."<ref name="ReferenceA" />
* Turning away: "Apostasy is also pictured as the heart turning away from God (Jeremiah 17:5–6) and righteousness (Ezekiel 3:20). In the OT it centers on Israel's breaking [[Covenant (biblical)|covenant]] relationship with God through disobedience to the law (Jeremiah 2:19), especially following other gods (Judges 2:19) and practicing their immorality (Daniel 9:9–11)&nbsp;... Following the Lord or journeying with him is one of the chief images of faithfulness in the Scriptures&nbsp;... The&nbsp;... Hebrew root (''swr'') is used to picture those who have turned away and ceased to follow God ('I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me,' 1 Samuel 15:11)&nbsp;... The image of turning away from the Lord, who is the rightful leader, and following behind false gods is the dominant image for apostasy in the OT."<ref name="ReferenceA" />
* Falling away: "The image of falling, with the sense of going to eternal destruction, is particularly evident in the New Testament&nbsp;... In his [Christ's] parable of the wise and foolish builder, in which the house built on sand falls with a crash in the midst of a storm (Matthew 7:24–27)&nbsp;... he painted a highly memorable image of the dangers of falling spiritually."<ref>''Dictionary of Biblical Imagery'', 39. Paul Barnett says, "Jesus foresaw the fact of apostasy and warned both those who would fall into sin as well as those who would cause others to fall (see, e.g., Mark 9:42–49)." (''Dictionary of the Later NT'', 73).</ref>
* Adultery: One of the most common images for apostasy in the Old Testament is adultery.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> "Apostasy is symbolized as Israel the faithless spouse turning away from Yahweh her marriage partner to pursue the advances of other gods (Jeremiah 2:1–3; Ezekiel 16)&nbsp;... 'Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes' (Jeremiah 5:7, NIV). Adultery is used most often to describe the horror of the betrayal and covenant breaking involved in idolatry. Like literal adultery it does include the idea of someone blinded by infatuation, in this case for an idol: 'How I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts&nbsp;... which have lusted after their idols' (Ezekiel 6:9)."<ref name="ReferenceA" />

Speaking with specific regard to apostasy in [[Christianity]], Michael Fink writes:

<blockquote>
Apostasy is certainly a biblical concept, but the implications of the teaching have been hotly debated.<ref>McKnight adds: "Because apostasy is disputed among Christian theologians, it must be recognized that ones overall hermeneutic and theology (including ones general philosophical orientation) shapes how one reads texts dealing with apostasy." ''Dictionary of Theological Interpretation of the Bible'', 59.</ref> The debate has centered on the issue of apostasy and salvation. Based on the concept of God's sovereign grace, some hold that, though true believers may stray, they never totally fall away. Others affirm that any who fall away were never really saved. Though they may have "believed" for a while, they never experienced regeneration. Still others argue that the biblical warnings against apostasy are real and that believers maintain the freedom, at least potentially, to reject God's salvation.<ref>''Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary'', "Apostasy," 87.</ref>
</blockquote>

In the recent past, in the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]] the word was also applied to the renunciation of [[Religious vows|monastic vows]] (''apostasis a monachatu''), and to the abandonment of the [[clergy|clerical profession]] for the life of the world (''apostasis a clericatu'') without necessarily amounting to a rejection of Christianity.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

=== Penalties ===

Apostasy was one of the sins for which the early church imposed perpetual penance and excommunication. Christianity rejected the removal of heretics and apostates by force, leaving the final punishment to God.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Angenendt |first=Arnold |title=Toleranz und Gewalt: das Christentum zwischen Bibel und Schwert |date=2018 |publisher=Aschendorff Verlag |isbn=978-3-402-00215-5 |edition=Nachdruck der fünften, aktualisierten Auflage 2009, 22.-24.Tausend |location=Münster}}</ref> As a result, the first millennium saw only one single official execution of a heretic, the [[Priscillian]] case. Classical [[canon law]] viewed apostasy as distinct from heresy and schism. Apostasy ''a fide'', defined as total repudiation of the Christian faith, was considered as different from a theological standpoint and from heresy, but subject to the same penalty of death by fire by [[decretist]] jurists.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vGUSDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA46|page=46|title=Contesting Orthodoxy in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Heresy, Magic and Witchcraft|author1=Louise Nyholm Kallestrup|author-link1=Louise Nyholm Kallestrup|author2=Raisa Maria Toivo|publisher=Springer|year=2017|isbn=978-3-319-32385-5}}</ref> The influential 13th-century theologian [[Henry of Segusio|Hostiensis]] recognized three types of apostasy. The first was conversion to another faith, which was considered traitorous and could bring confiscation of property or even the death penalty. The second and third, which was punishable by expulsion from home and imprisonment, consisted of breaking major commandments and breaking the vows of religious orders, respectively.<ref name="auto">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AAInCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT112|page=112|title=The Middle Ages Unlocked: A Guide to Life in Medieval England, 1050–1300 |author=Gillian Polack |author2=Katrin Kania |publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|year=2015|isbn=978-1-4456-4589-6}}</ref>

A [[decretal]] by [[Boniface VIII]] classified apostates together with heretics with respect to the penalties incurred. Although it mentioned only apostate Jews explicitly, it was applied to all apostates, and the [[Spanish Inquisition]] used it to persecute both the [[Marranos|Marrano]] Jews, who had been converted to Christianity by force, and to the [[Moriscos]] who had professed to convert to Christianity from Islam under pressure.<ref name="apostasy1907">{{cite encyclopedia|author=Van Hove, A.|year=1907|title=Apostasy|encyclopedia=The Catholic Encyclopedia|publisher=New York: Robert Appleton Company|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01624b.htm}}</ref>

Temporal penalties for Christian apostates have fallen into disuse in the modern era.<ref name="apostasy1907" />

=== Jehovah's Witnesses ===
{{Main|Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs#Apostasy}}
[[Jehovah's Witnesses|Jehovah's Witness]] publications define ''apostasy'' as the abandonment of the worship and service of God, constituting rebellion against God, or rejecting "Jehovah's organization".<ref>''Reasoning From the Scriptures'', Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1989, pp. 34–35.</ref> They apply the term to a range of conduct, including open dissent with the denomination's doctrines, celebration of "false religious holidays" (including Christmas and Easter), and participation in activities and worship of other religions.<ref>''Shepherd the Flock of God'', Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania,  2010, pp. 65–66.</ref> A member of the denomination who is accused of apostasy is typically required to appear before a committee of elders that decides whether the individual is to be shunned by all congregants including immediate family members not living in the same home.<ref>{{cite book |last=Holden |first=Andrew |title=Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement |url=https://archive.org/details/jehovahswitnesse00andr |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2002 |isbn=0-415-26610-6 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/jehovahswitnesse00andr/page/32 32], 78–79}}</ref> Baptized individuals who leave the organization because they disagree with the denomination's teachings are also regarded as apostates and are shunned.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite journal |journal=The Watchtower |pages=21–25 |date=January 15, 2006|url=http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2006046#h=17|title=Do Not Allow Place for the Devil}}</ref>

[[Watch Tower Society]] literature describes apostates as "mentally diseased" individuals who can "infect others with their disloyal teachings".<ref>Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 28:5 [2004], p.&nbsp;42–43</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Jerome |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/war-of-words-breaks-out-among-jehovahs-witnesses-2361448.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220508/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/war-of-words-breaks-out-among-jehovahs-witnesses-2361448.html |archive-date=2022-05-08 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=War of words breaks out among Jehovah's Witnesses |date=26 September 2011 |work=The Independent |access-date=13 February 2016}}</ref> Former members who are defined as apostates are said to have become part of the [[antichrist]] and are regarded as more reprehensible than non-Witnesses.<ref name="wtantich">"Questions From Readers", ''The Watchtower'', July 15, 1985, p. 31, "Such ones willfully abandoning the Christian congregation thereby become part of the 'antichrist.' A person who had willfully and formally disassociated himself from the congregation would have matched that description. By deliberately repudiating God's congregation and by renouncing the Christian way, he would have made himself an apostate. A loyal Christian would not have wanted to fellowship with an apostate ... Scripturally, a person who repudiated God's congregation became more reprehensible than those in the world."</ref>

=== Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) ===

Members of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) are considered by church leadership to engage in apostasy when they publicly teach or espouse opinions and doctrines contrary to the teachings of the church, or act in clear and deliberate public opposition to the LDS Church, its doctrines and policies, or its leaders. This includes advocating for or practicing doctrines like those followed in apostate sects, such as plural marriage, more commonly known as [[polygamy]].<ref>{{cite web |title=General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/32-repentance-and-membership-councils?lang=eng#title_number30 |website=32. Repentance and Church Membership Councils |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |access-date=26 March 2020}}</ref> In such circumstances the church will frequently subject the non-conforming member to a [[church membership council]] which may result in membership restrictions (a temporary loss of church participation privileges) or membership withdrawal (a loss of church membership).