adiaphorism

[ad-ee-af-uh-riz-uhm]

noun

1. tolerance of actions or beliefs not specifically prohibited in the Scriptures; indifferentism.

adiaphorism

/ ˌædɪˈæfəˌrɪzəm /

noun

1. a Christian Protestant theological theory that certain rites and actions are matters of indifference in religion since not forbidden by the Scriptures

Other Word Forms

• adiaphorist noun
• adiaphoristic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of adiaphorism¹

First recorded in 1865–70; adiaphor(ous) + -ism

Word History and Origins

Origin of adiaphorism¹

C19: see _adiaphorous

Example Sentences

It was supposed to be inspired by the theologians of Wittenberg and Leipzig, who in that way sounded the first notes of "Adiaphorism."

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The Hamburg Book of Confession of 1560, which was also adopted by Luebeck and Lueneburg, and contained a confession against the Interim drawn up by Aepinus in 1548, and also four declarations concerning Adiaphorism, Osiandrism, Majorism, and the doctrine of the Lord's Supper, drawn up since 1549.

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Melanchthon himself fully realized the viciousness of Osiander's error, although at the colloquy in Worms, 1557, he, too, was opposed to condemning Osiandrism together with Zwinglianism, Majorism, and Adiaphorism, as the theologians of Ducal Saxony demanded.

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Before the formal opening of the colloquy, the Thuringian delegates at Worms received a letter from Flacius, dated August 9, 1557 in which he admonished them to make a determined confession, and to induce the other Lutheran theologians to reject the Interim, Adiaphorism, Majorism, Osiandrism and Zwinglianism.

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Opposed as they were to a peace by agreeing to disagree or by ignoring the differences and past contentions, they demanded that synergism, Majorism, adiaphorism, as also the doctrines of Zwingli, Osiander, and Schwenckfeldt, be publicly rejected by the Wittenbergers.

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