Church Adjective England Recusant Attend Services Reck Yuh Zunt Refusing

adjective

Refusing to submit to authority.

[In 1534, Henry VIII of England declared himself the head of the Church of England, separating it from the Roman Catholic Church, and the resultant furor led to increased attention focused on people's religious observances. A "recusant" was someone who (from about 1570-1791) refused to attend services of the Church of England, and therefore violated the laws of mandatory church attendance. The word derives from the Latin verb "recusare," meaning "reject" or "oppose." The adjective "recusant" has been in use since the early 17th century. Originally, it meant "refusing to attend the services of the Church of England," but by the century's end, both the adjective and the noun were also being used generally to suggest resistance to authority of any form.]

"The 'recusant Republican senators' who defied their party and 'tipped the balance in favor of Johnson' won praise from Rehnquist for putting principle above politics." - Gaylord Shaw; Portrait of a Trial, Newsday (New York); Jan 5, 1999.