dechristianization

/diːkɹɪtʃənʌɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/

dechristianization means the act of dechristianizing; the systematic removal of Christianity or Christian elements. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

dechristianization is pronounced /diːkɹɪtʃənʌɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/.

Why “dechristianization” is a great word

DECHRISTIANIZATION — [Noun] The systematic process or act of removing Christian influence, symbols, or institutions from a society, culture, or individual. From de- (expressing removal or reversal) + Christian (pertaining to Christ or Christianity) + -ize (verb-forming suffix) + -ation (noun-forming suffix denoting an action or process). Unlike secularization, which broadly denotes a society's separation from religious institutions, or apostasy, a personal renunciation of faith, dechristianization is a targeted, often state-led campaign of erasure. It is the bronze bell melted down for cannon, the cathedral repurposed as a Temple of Reason, and the saint's day on the calendar replaced by the name of a vegetable—a political surgery performed on the body of history, leaving scars where the sacred used to be.

Etymology

From dechristianize + -ation.

noun

The act of dechristianizing; the systematic removal of Christianity or Christian elements.“Fouché, before 1789 a teacher attached to the Oratorian order, engaged in an extraordinary campaign of ‘dechristianization’ in his tour of duty in the department of the Nièvre in September [...].”