Metanoia (theology)

Metanoia, a transliteration of the Greek μετάνοια, can be defined as "a transformative change of heart; especially: a spiritual conversion." The term suggests repudiation, change of mind, repentance, and atonement; but "conversion" and "reformation" may best approximate its connotation. In The King James Version of the Bible, its verbal cognate metanoeo/μετανοέω is translated as repent.

Metanoia means afterthought, from meta meaning "after" or "beyond" and nous meaning "mind". In Classical Greek metanoia meant changing one's mind about someone or something. When personified, Metanoia was depicted as a shadowy goddess, cloaked and sorrowful, who accompanied Kairos, the god of Opportunity, sowing regret and inspiring repentance for the "missed moment". This conventional portrayal continued through the Renaissance. "The elements of repentance, regret, reflection, and transformation are always present in the concept of metanoia to some degree, ..."

Philo Judaeus of Alexandria (c. 25 BCE – c. 50 CE) depicted metanoia as “in heaven, a beautiful and especially good daughter of the Most High.” There, “she entreats God Most High hourly” on behalf of people.

Modern English translations of the Greek New Testament use the word "repentance" for both the word metanoia and metamelomai. The former term is so translated almost ten times as often as the latter.Metanoia can be traced to Mark Chapter 1, where Jesus announces that the kingdom of God is at hand and asks for repentance.

In Matthew 27:3 uses the Greek verb metamelomai in stating that Judas "repented himself" after he saw Jesus being led away. Metamelomai denotes "painful sorrow" or "remorseful regret." Metamelomai is the equivalent of the words Repent or Repentance." Biblical scholar A. T. Robertson observes that Judas had only sorrow and regret and "mere sorrow avails nothing unless it leads to change of mind and life [metanoia]."

The noun metanoia/μετάνοια, is translated "repentance," and its cognate verb metanoeō/μετανοέω is translated "repent" in twenty two instances in the King James Version of the New Testament.

Abid Rogers Bhatti in his book A Textbook of Soteriology writes about the meaning of metanoia/μετάνοια. In the Urdu Bible, the word for “repentance” is “toba.” Toba means regret, grief, and sorrow over sinful deeds that lead to a change of mind and life. Abid agrees with Tertullian in preferring “conversion” rather than “repentance” to translate metanoia/μετάνοια in Mark 1:4. In summary, Abid believes that “conversion” (rather than “repentance”) is the best English word to express the meaning of the Greek metanoia/μετάνοια.

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