Orthopraxy

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɔːθəˌpɹæksi/

Definitions

1. A system centered on the correct execution of actions and rituals, especially within a religious framework
2. A belief structure that prioritizes appropriate practices and behaviors over mere doctrine or belief systems
3. A framework valuing the proper performance of rituals and procedures as essential elements of faith and community life

Etymology: "Orthopraxy" is a deliberate nineteenth-century coinage, built to sound like the much older "orthodoxy." That older word comes from Ancient Greek ὀρθοδοξία (orthodoxía), combining "orthós," meaning "correct" or "straight," with "dóxa," meaning "opinion" or "belief." Coiners in the nineteenth century took the same first element, "orthós," and paired it with "prâxis," meaning "action, deed, or conduct," to name a religious stress on right doing rather than right belief. The result turns the logic of orthodoxy around. Orthodoxy asks whether you hold the correct beliefs; orthopraxy asks whether you perform the correct actions. The word does not appear in classical Greek, so the ancient pieces are borrowed only in spirit. The English suffix "-y," which turns adjectives and roots into abstract nouns, completes the form.

Synonyms: correct practice, proper conduct