Apostolizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The action of actively promoting a specific belief system or ideology
2. The process of disseminating a particular doctrine or faith to others
3. Engaging in the practice of persuading others to adopt a particular faith or belief system

Etymology: "Apostolizing" is the present participle of "apostolize", which is formed from "apostle" plus the verb-forming suffix "-ize". The root goes back to Greek "apostolos", meaning "messenger" or "one who is sent out", from "apostellein", "to send forth". In early Christian use the word was reserved for the twelve followers Jesus sent out to preach, and English took the noun this way, so an apostle originally meant a person dispatched to spread a message. The suffix "-ize", borrowed through Latin from Greek "-izein", is what turns a noun into an action: to "apostolize" is to act as an apostle, or to carry out the work of spreading the faith. Its use in English is documented from the 1600s onward, and the participle "apostolizing" describes that activity while it is going on, as in missionaries apostolizing among a new population.