Christianizing

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. The process of converting individuals or groups to the beliefs and practices of Christianity; the act of introducing or spreading Christian doctrines and customs; the cultural transformation involving adoption of Christian values and religious observances
2. An act of promoting or enforcing Christian faith and rituals among non-Christians; the systematic effort to adopt Christian theology and moral codes; the spread or imposition of Christianity in a particular society or community
3. The procedure of embracing Christianity through teaching and conversion; the diffusion of Christian religious principles and ceremonies; the transformation of social or cultural identity by integrating Christian elements and worship practices

Etymology: The word is built on "Christian" plus the suffix "-ize," so the story is mostly in that suffix. The suffix comes from ancient Greek "-izein," used to form verbs meaning "to make into" or "to act in the manner of," as in "baptizein" or the older words that gave Greek speakers ways to turn one thing into another. It passed through Late Latin "-izare," then Middle French "-iser," and reached English as "-isen" in Middle English before settling into the form "-ize" used today. English speakers adopted the suffix freely, which is why it now attaches to so many ordinary nouns and adjectives. Attached to "Christian," the suffix produces a verb meaning to make someone or something Christian, whether by converting people or by remaking a culture, institution, or practice along Christian lines. The present participle "christianizing" describes that action in progress, so a missionary "christianizing" a village is turning its people toward the faith, and the same form can describe a whole society being reshaped over time.

Synonyms: evangelizing, converting, missionizing, baptizing, proselytizing

Antonyms: secularizing, paganizing, dechristianizing