Restorationist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who advocates returning to an earlier form of religious practice or belief, or who works to repair and return objects or buildings to their original condition
2. A proponent of reverting to earlier religious customs or precepts, as well as someone involved in the repair of artifacts or buildings to their former glory
3. An individual who promotes a return to previous religious traditions or beliefs while also engaging in the repair and revival of historical objects and structures

Etymology: "Restorationist" is a plain formation: the noun "restoration" with the suffix "-ist" added, which marks a person who follows or practises something. "Restoration" itself comes from the Latin "restaurare", meaning to renew or rebuild, and it reached English through Old French, carrying the sense of bringing something back to a former state. Adding "-ist" turns that idea into a label for a person devoted to the act. The word therefore covers two quite different kinds of people under one heading. One is the religious advocate who wants a community to return to older practices or beliefs, a sense that grew naturally from the broader idea of restoring something to its original form. The other is the conservator who repairs damaged paintings, furniture or buildings so they look as they once did. Both senses rest on the same notion of returning something to an earlier condition, applied either to a faith or to a physical object.

Synonyms: revivalist, reconstructor, reformer, renovator, reviver