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antinomianism

antinomianism

1 9.9
A belief that faith and God's grace free Christians from needing to follow moral rules
  • noun
  • /ˌæntɪˈnoʊmiənɪzəm/
  • Formal
: antinomianismo
  • Many theologians debate the implications of antinomianism, arguing it undermines moral principles.

And one said antinomianism, which is nothing, stands above moral law.

Examples

  • Antinomianism is the heretical belief that it is permitted to sin if you have been forgiven by God in advance.

    Blog text (6)
  • This is the old accusation of antinomianism against the gospel.

    Blog text (22)
  • And one said antinomianism, which is nothing, stands above moral law.

  • In fact, no religion ever advocated antinomianism, though many were accused of doing so.

    Blog text (6)
  • It is undoubtedly true that the antinomianism of contemporary culture is in no way regime-specific.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Hogg's novel criticizes antinomianism, not because it was anti-intellectual, but because it led to immoral behavior, like murder.

    Blog text (6)
  • "Because they believed that God was present in all living creatures, the Ranters' adherence to antinomianism allowed them to reject the very notion of obedience, thus making them a great threat to the stability of the government."

    Blog text (26)
  • And even if it did, antinomianism is largely considered heretical by Protestant churches in the tradition of the Reformation (Martin Luther was a harsh critic of the belief).

    Blog text (6)
  • According to Fuchs, antinomianism and moral goodness are incompatible since a positive fundamental option for God in love requires that a person not be indifferent to the morality of his or her acts, but actively strive to do everything possible to act rightly as frequently as possible.

    Academic text (2003)
  • In discussing antinomianism, scholars often highlight its impact on Christian ethical teachings.

Antonyms

A duty you feel because something is right or wrong

Surface Forms

antinomianism singular

Morphology

antinomianism = antinomian (semi-transparent) = anti + nom + ian + ism

The noun is formed regularly from the adjective 'antinomian' with '-ism', but the base adjective is a learned classical formation rather than an everyday transparent word.

Etymology

Antinomianism comes from Greek parts anti- 'against' and nomos 'law', so it was used for the idea of being 'against the law' in a religious way. So antinomianism is the belief that faith and God's grace free a Christian from having to obey moral laws.