An organization, movement, or group that opposes or stands against established churches or church authority; a counter-church.
From anti- (against) + church (from Greek kyriakon, 'of the Lord'). This compound term emerged during periods of religious reformation and schism when groups explicitly defined themselves as opposing mainstream ecclesiastical institutions.
During the Reformation, protesters against the Catholic Church essentially created antichurches—they didn't just want to reform; they wanted to build entirely different religious institutions, showing how powerful words can crystallize revolutionary ideas.
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