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(proselytos, stranger or newcomer;Vulgate,advena).
The English term "proselyte" occurs only in theNew Testament where it signifies aconvert to theJewish religion (Matthew 23:15;Acts 2:11;6:5; etc.), though the same Greek word is commonly used in theSeptuagint to designate a foreign sojourner in Palestine. Thus the term seems to have passed from an original local and chiefly political sense, in which it was used as early as 300 B.C., to a technical and religious meaning in theJudaism of theNew Testament epoch. Besides the proselytes in the strict sense who underwent therite ofcircumcision and conformed to theprecepts of theJewish Law, there was another class often referred to in the Acts as "fearers ofGod" (Acts 10:2, 22;13:16, 26), "worshippers ofGod" (Acts 16:14), "servers ofGod" (Acts 13:43;17:4, 17). These were sympathetic adherents attracted by theMonotheism and higher ideals of theJewish religion.St. Paul addressed himself especially to them in his missionary journeys, and from them he formed the beginning of many of his Churches.
APA citation.Driscoll, J.F.(1911).Proselyte. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12481c.htm
MLA citation.Driscoll, James F."Proselyte."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 12.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1911.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12481c.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by Sean Hyland.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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