pharisaism

plural pharisaisms · alternative Pharisaism · alternative Phariseeism

1. countableuncountableThe doctrines and practices, or the character and spirit, of the Pharisees.

   Serious and substantial doubts about Paul's former life as a Pharisee, or even any contact with pharisaism on his part, have been raised.

   2002, J. Andrew Overman, “Kata Nomon Pharisaios: A Short History of Paul's Pharisaism”, in Janice Capel Anderson, Philip Sellew, Claudia Setzer, editors, Pauline Conversations in Context: Essays in Honor of Calvin J. Roetzel (Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series; 221), London; New York, N.Y.: Sheffield Academic Press, →ISBN, page 192

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   Since Paul lived and worked in the greater Syrian area as a Pharisee, it is somewhat probable that Pharisaism had some influence there and that some Pharisees lived outside Jerusalem and Judea. […] Paul never says where he made contact with Pharisaism, in Tarsus, Syria, or Jerusalem. […] The evidence concerning Pharisaism is so slim that we do not know how Paul came to know about Pharisaism, why he was attracted to it, and what being a Pharisee entailed.

   1988, Anthony J. Saldarini, Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees in Palestinian Society: A Sociological Approach, Wilmington, Del.: M. Glazier, →ISBN, page 138

2. countableuncountableChristianityRigid observance of external forms of religion without genuine piety; hypocrisy in religion; a censorious, self-righteous spirit in matters of morals or manners.

   But denunciations do not go far, and the only living and effective protest would be a society itself delivered from all pharisaisms and idolatries.

   1915, John Oman, “The Judgment of the Churches”, in The War and Its Issues: An Attempt at a Christian Judgment, Cambridge: At the University Press, OCLC 561696232; 2nd edition, Cambridge: At the University Press, 1916, OCLC 22245117, page 59

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   [T]he Phariſee faſted twice every weeke, and that never cenſured in him as a peice of Phariſaiſme, or hypocriſie, or fault of any kind; but as commendable, if he had not boaſted of it.

   1645 [indicated as 1646], [Henry Hammond], “Of Feasting”, in A Practicall Catechisme, Oxford: [s.n.], →OCLC, book III, section III, page 303

   The codes of some modern pharisaism comprise mostly some virtues and moral rules selected from the codes of the Christian pharisaisms which they oppose […]

   1935, Philip Leon, The Ethics of Power, or, The Problem of Evil, London: George Allen & Unwin, →OCLC, page 152

1. uncountableAlternative letter-case form of pharisaism.

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   The man who thinks that his religion is the sum-total of the religious dogmas he believes in, who thinks that to live in harmony with the allhood of things it requires only that one subscribe to certain prescribed religious dogmas, in whose mind the means of salvation is simply frequency and fervency of prayer, assiduity and fidelity of attendance on worship, — in the case of that man his so-called religion is just as apt as not to become an actual aid to immorality, for it is not religion at all, but purblind, self-righteous Pharisaism.

   1909, Nicholas Murray Butler, Frank Pierrepont Graves, Charles Alexander Nelson, Educational Review - Volume 37, page 383