adiaphora

A Greek word for “indifferent” that was used by Protestants to identify church practices which are not required for salvation or the Christian faith such as making the sign of the cross and knelling in church. Luther referred to these practices as “free” because they should not affect a believer’s conscience. However, serious controversies arose regarding how much the church, particularly state churches such as the Church of England, could enforce the performance of these practices.