Metanoia

Metanoia

ˌmedəˈnoiə

Noun

  • Change in one’s way of life resulting from penitence or spiritual conversion.

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Example Sentences

“Working with AmeriCorps for a year helped me go through a metanoia after college.” 

“I experienced a spiritual metanoia at the meditation retreat.” 

“After her metanoia, she continued to share her story of how she turned her life around.”

Word Origin

Greek, late 16th century

Why this word?

Metanoia — a deep and profound change of heart — comes from the Greek “metanoein,” meaning “change one’s mind.” The word has a strong connection to Christian theology, but across the different versions of texts, and depending on which theologian is translating, “metanoia” takes on different connotations. For Martin Luther, metanoia, or repentance, was the basis of the first of his 95 theses. For many of the Orthodox Christian religions, metanoias are physical prostrations as acts of prayer.

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ˈskyo͞oəˌmôrf