Apostolicity

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /əˌpÉ’stəˈlɪsɪti/

Origin

From apostolic + -ity, after French apostolicité.

Full definition of apostolicity

Noun

1. The quality of being apostolic, notably of preserving authenticity within the mission and tradition of the Christian church as founded by Jesus Christ and his twelve original Apostles, through their representatives and successors in the papacy and episcopate.
• 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin 2010, p. 427:his Church did its best to trump Rome in apostolicity by declaring that it had been founded by the first-recruited among Christ's Apostles, Andrew.

Related terms

• apostleship
• apostolate