Paganize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause to adopt pagan beliefs or practices; to revert or convert someone or something to a non-Christian or polytheistic religion; to integrate elements characteristic of ancient or folk religions into customs or rituals
2. To transform or influence towards ancient polytheistic faiths; to spiritually reorient from established Christianity to non-Christian worship; to incorporate traditional pagan rites or values into a cultural or religious context
3. To induce a shift toward worship centered on multiple gods or nature deities; to alter religious identity by embracing pre-Christian or folk religion traditions; to infuse ceremonies or lifestyles with pagan symbolism or ideology

Etymology: The verb in question emerged from the noun "pagan," which itself traces back to the Latin "paganus," originally meaning "villager" or "civilian." In the late Roman Empire, "paganus" came to denote someone who adhered to the old polytheistic religions rather than Christianity, which was becoming dominant. From this root, English adopted "pagan" around the 15th century to describe non-Christian or polytheistic beliefs. The suffix "-ize," common in English verbs, derives from Greek "-izein," used to form verbs indicating causing to become or to render. When combined with "pagan," it produces a verb meaning roughly "to make pagan" or "to cause to adopt pagan practices or beliefs." This verb likely entered English in the 17th or 18th century during periods of religious and cultural discourse when processes of conversion and reversion to older faiths were topics of debate. It was used to describe efforts either to revert Christians to paganism or to characterize cultural behaviors as paganizing, that is, adopting elements considered pagan. Though not a common term today, the word captures a historical process of religious and cultural transformation, reflecting tensions between dominant and marginalized belief systems. Its construction is a straightforward example of English verb formation from a noun plus a productive verbalizing suffix.

Synonyms: convert to paganism, heathenize, idolatize, dechristianize, revert to paganism

Antonyms: christianize, convert, baptize, evangelize, civilize