Apostasy in Christianity

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Apostasy in Christianity is the deliberate abandonment or renunciation of the Christian faith by someone who formerly professed it. The term derives from the Greek apostasia, meaning rebellion or defection. Warnings against apostasy appear throughout the New Testament, particularly in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Early Christian writers also discussed unbelief, false teaching, persecution, failures of perseverance, and the possibility of repentance and restoration. Most Christian traditions have historically regarded apostasy as a real possibility for believers. Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anabaptist, Lutheran, Arminian and related Protestant traditions have generally affirmed that a genuinely regenerate believer can finally fall away, while Calvinism has notably rejected this possibility. These differences also affect how churches distinguish renouncing the Christian faith from leaving a particular denomination. Historically, apostasy has carried ecclesiastical sanctions and, in some legal...

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