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[[File:Conversion on the Way to Damascus-Caravaggio (c.1600-1).jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|right|''[[Conversion on the Way to Damascus]]'' (1601) by [[Caravaggio]] ([[Santa Maria del Popolo]], [[Rome]]) depicts the [[Conversion of Paul the Apostle|conversion of Paul the Apostle to Christianity]] according to the events narrated in the [[Acts 9|ninth chapter]] of the [[Acts of the Apostles|Book of Acts]] (Acts 9:1–22)<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts|9:1–22|RSV}}</ref>]]
'''Conversion to Christianity''' is the [[religious conversion]] of a previously non-Christian person that brings about changes in what sociologists refer to as the convert's "root reality" including their social behaviors, thinking and ethics. The sociology of religion indicates religious conversion was an important factor in the emergence of civilization and the making of the modern world. Conversion is the most studied aspect of religion by psychologists of religion, but there is still very little actual data available
Christianity is growing rapidly in the global South and East, primarily through conversion. Different methods of conversion have been practiced historically. There is evidence of coercion by secular leaders in the Early and Late Middle Ages, though coercion as a method has never been approved or even supported by any majority of Christian theologians.{{Citation needed|reason=Early church?|date=July 2025}}
Different [[Christian denominations]] may perform various different kinds of rituals or ceremonies of [[initiation]] into their community of believers. The primary ritual of conversion is [[baptism]], while different denominations differ with regards to [[confirmation]].
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== Individual conversion ==
[[File:Jan Frans van Geel and Jan Baptist van Hool - The calling of St. Peter and St. Andrew, detail of the pulpit in the St. Andrew's Church, Antwerp.jpg|thumb|Jan Frans van Geel and Jan Baptist van Hool – The calling of St. Peter and St. Andrew, detail of the pulpit in the St. Andrew's Church, Antwerp|alt=depiction of a life size wooden carving of Jesus calling Peter and Andrew as they climb out of their fishing boat]]▼
[[File:Pimonenko. Victime of fanatisme.jpg|thumb|''[[A Victim of Fanaticism]]'' (1899) by [[Mykola Pymonenko]]. A convert is often unwelcome by the adherents of the former faith.]]
James P. Hanigan writes that individual conversion is the foundational experience and the central message of Christianity, adding that Christian conversion begins with an experience of being "thrown off balance" through cognitive and psychological "disequilibrium", followed by an "awakening" of consciousness and a new awareness of God.{{sfn|Hanigan|1983|pp=25, 28–29}} Hanigan compares it to "death and rebirth, a turning away..., a putting off of the old..., a change of mind and heart".{{sfn|Hanigan|1983|pp=25–26}} The person responds by acknowledging and confessing personal lostness and sinfulness, and then accepting a [[Universal call to holiness|call to holiness]] thus restoring balance. This initial internal conversion is followed by practices that further the process of conversion, which according to Hanigan, will include ethical changes.{{sfn|Hanigan|1983|loc=abstract|pp=25–28}}
In examples of conversion from the New Testament, such as [[Saint Peter|Peter's]] conversion<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|5:1-11}}, {{bibleverse|Matt.|4:18-22}}</ref> and [[Apostle Paul|Paul's]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|9}}</ref> Hanigan perceives this same common "death and rebirth" experience. He says these individuals did not respond out of a sense of guilt, but from awe, reverence, and holy fear of what they perceived as God's presence.{{sfn|Hanigan|1983|pp=25-28}}
▲[[File:Jan Frans van Geel and Jan Baptist van Hool - The calling of St. Peter and St. Andrew, detail of the pulpit in the St. Andrew's Church, Antwerp.jpg|thumb|Jan Frans van Geel and Jan Baptist van Hool – The calling of St. Peter and St. Andrew, detail of the pulpit in the St. Andrew's Church, Antwerp|alt=depiction of a life size wooden carving of Jesus calling Peter and Andrew as they climb out of their fishing boat]]
Comparative studies of the early twenty-first century offer the insight that religious conversion provides a new locus of self-definition, moral authority and social identity through the acceptance of religious actions that seem more fitting and true to the recipient.{{sfn|Hefner|2023|p=17}}
Religious conversion into Christianity sometimes came with physical incentives and rewards for new converts, such as the right of residence, access to land, or preferential legal status.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hamed-Troyansky |first=Vladimir|date=2021|title=Becoming Armenian: Religious Conversions in the Late Imperial South Caucasus|journal=Comparative Studies in Society and History|volume=63|issue=1|pages=242–272 |doi=10.1017/S0010417520000432|doi-access=free}}</ref>
Anthropologist Robert Hefner adds that "Conversion assumes a variety of forms... because it is influenced by a larger interplay of identity, politics and morality".{{sfn|Hefner|2023|p=4}} The message of Truth, a redemptive identity, and acceptance into a social organization whose purpose is the propagation of that message has proven to be a revolutionary force in its own right.{{sfn|Hefner|2023|p=20}}
==Theology==
According to sociologist Ines W. Jindra, there is a "theological dimension" to conversion.{{sfn|Jindra|2021|p=148}} Avery Dulles quotes [[Bernard Lonergan]] saying "The subject of theology, then, is the person undergoing conversion to God".{{sfn|Dulles|1981|p=175}} The conversion experience is basic and has the characteristics of being "concrete, dynamic, personal, communal, and historical." Through this focus on the individual, theology of conversion is provided with the same characteristics in its foundation.{{sfn|Dulles|1981|pp=175, 176}}
Religious historian David W. Kling's ''History of Christian Conversion'' lists nine broad themes common to conversion narratives.{{sfn|Kling|2020|pp=20-23}} Jindra describes the first theme as "human cognizance of divine presence," while Kling says, "God becomes real to people" through conversion.{{sfn|Kling|2020|p=21}}{{sfn|Jindra|2021|p=147}} Conversion always has "context": humans are "socially constituted" beings and religious conversion always occurs in a social context.{{sfn|Kling|2020|p=21}} Jindra writes that, while all conversion accounts vary, they all show evidence of being based upon personal internal experiences of crisis expressed through the specific historical context in which the converts lived.{{sfn|Jindra|2021|pp=147, 148}}
There are aspects of both "movement and resistance" in conversion. Christianity has, from its beginnings, been an evangelical mission oriented religion which has spread through conversion. However, people naturally tend toward inertia, toward the familiar, unless otherwise motivated toward change, making conversion the exception not the rule in history.{{sfn|Kling|2020|p=21}}
There is both "continuity and discontinuity" in the conversion process. Conversion can be disruptive and cause a rupture with the past, but rupture is rarely complete. Aspects of the past are frequently kept, resulting in a kind of "hybrid" faith.{{sfn|Kling|2020|pp=21-22}} Gender also plays a direct role in how people do or do not convert.{{sfn|Kling|2020|p=23}}
Testimonies and narratives provide the vocabulary of conversion.{{sfn|Kling|2020|p=22}} In the more famous conversion stories, such as Augustine's and Martin Luther's, it is apparent the conversion story was later used, not only for personal insight and transformation, but also for drawing in potential converts.{{sfn|Jindra|2021|p=149}} Kling writes that "the influence of [such] personal testimonies on the history of conversion cannot be over-estimated."{{sfn|Kling|2020|p=22}} Indications from Jandra's twenty-first century research indicates this is also true for more ordinary, less famous, conversions.{{sfn|Jindra|2021|pp=149-150}} Conversion produced change in the lives of most converts in important and positive ways: Jindra says "they became more stable, found meaning in life, tackled their former problematic biographical trajectories, and improved their relationships (Jindra, 2014)".{{sfn|Jindra|2021|p=149}}
Conversion has historically been impacted by how personal "identity" and sense of self is defined. This can determine how much intentional action on the part of the individual convert has directed outcome, and how much outside forces may have impinged upon personal agency instead.{{sfn|Kling|2020|p=23}} In Christian conversion, there is nearly always a network of others who influenced the convert prior to conversion.{{sfn|Jindra|2021|p=149}} Jindra writes that the specific context, which includes the ideology of the group being joined, the individual convert's particular crisis, "and the degree of agency vs. the influence of others" are important aspects influencing whether converts change or do not change after a conversion.{{sfn|Jindra|2021|p=147}}{{sfn|Jindra|2021|p=147}}
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==Social science ==
In his book ''[[Sociology of Religion (book)|Sociology of Religion]]'', German sociologist [[Max Weber]] writes that religious conversion begins with the prophet, as the voice of revelation and vision, calling others to break with tradition and bring their lives into [[conformity]] with his "world-building truth."{{sfn|Hefner|2023|pp=12, 13}} Weber believed that prophetic ideals can become, through the conversion of a community of followers, "a force for world transformation as powerful as anything in human history.{{sfn|Hefner|2023|p=13}}
Calling conversion and [[Christianization]] "twin phenomena", Hefner has written that religious conversion was an important factor in the emergence of civilization and the making of the modern world.{{sfn|Hefner|2023|p=3}} According to Hefner, the "reformulation of social relations, cultural meanings and personal experience" involved in conversion carries with it an inherent "world building aspect".{{sfn|Hefner|2023|pp=3-4}}
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==Psychology==
While conversion is the most studied aspect of religion by psychologists of religion, there is little empirical data on the topic, and little change in method since William James' classic ''Varieties of Religious Experience'' in 1902.
# ''Definition''. Calling this the "oldest issue in the field", Scroggs and Douglas indicate psychologists ask whether conversion requires a sudden about-face or gradual change. There is no consensus.{{sfn|Scroggs|Douglas|1967|p=206}} The word connotes a sudden about-face, but psychologists are unwilling to let go of the possibility of gradual conversion.{{sfn|Scroggs|Douglas|1967|p=206}}
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# ''Type of person.'' Many wonder if there is one kind of person that is more likely to be converted than others.{{sfn|Scroggs|Douglas|1967|p=209}} Sociologists stress the importance of such variables as social class, group expectations, and social change (as in American frontier society or contemporary China). According to Scroggs and Douglas, William "James regarded the sick soul as the most likely candidate for conversion. The sick soul lives 'close to the pain threshold.' He is generally introverted and pessimistic in outlook, taking the evil of the world profoundly to heart. The sick soul is brooding, steeped in existential angst. He is Kierkegaard's man who is in despair and knows he is in despair".{{sfn|Scroggs|Douglas|1967|p=209}}{{pb}}
Trauma and existential crisis can lead to conversion. For the already converted, trauma is also often associated with "beneficial changes in self-perception, relationships, and philosophy of life, and positive changes in the realm of existential, spiritual, or religious matters" according to a study by psychologists Rosemary de Castella and Janette Simmonds.{{sfn|Tedeschi|Park|Calhoun|1998|p=13}}{{sfn|de Castella|Simmonds|2012|loc=abstract}}{{pb}}
A 2011 study indicates conversion can take either an inward form, wherein religion becomes the primary guiding principle and goal of the convert's life, or it can take an outward form where religion mostly serves other purposes, such as political or economic goals, which are more important to that individual than religion. For those who experience inward conversion, lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress are associated, while higher levels are associated with those who practice outward conversion only.
# ''Age''. Scroggs and Douglas say that early writers on the psychology of conversion were unanimous in regarding adolescence as the most probable age for conversion.{{sfn|Scroggs|Douglas|1967|p=210}}{{blockquote|In surveys of three churches, psychologist Robert Ferm found the average
# ''Conscious or unconscious''. Exactly how much of the conversion experience is brought on by conscious control, and how much by unconscious factors behind or even beyond an individual, is also a matter of debate.{{sfn|Scroggs|Douglas|1967|p=211}} Forces beyond conscious control are cited by the majority of converts. Scriggs and Douglas wrote that "most psychologists agree the role of unconscious factors is extensive and often decisive in conversion, and that a long period of subconscious incubation precedes sudden conversions".{{sfn|Scroggs|Douglas|1967|p=211}} Allport, Maslow, Rogers, and others stress the role of conscious decision.{{sfn|Scroggs|Douglas|1967|pp=211-212}}
# ''Science-versus-religion''. Psychologists as social scientists tend to operate according to a nothing-but reductionism. Conversion must be described as a natural process. Theologians and others who accept the possibility of the supernatural, have tended to take a something-more, hands-off-the-sacred-preserve approach to studying conversion.{{sfn|Scroggs|Douglas|1967|p=213}} Different worldviews can bias interpretations. Scroggs and Douglas write that "No solution to this very difficult problem appears in the immediate purview", but they do suggest that acknowledging bias and incorporating both views in "not only interdisciplinary but interbias research is necessary".{{sfn|Scroggs|Douglas|1967|pp=213, 215}}
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[[File:Countries by percentage of Protestants 1938.svg|thumb|Countries by percentage of Protestants 1938|alt=map of worldwide Christianity in 1938]]
[[File:Percent of Christians by Country–Pew Research 2011.svg|thumb|Christian distribution globally<ref>{{cite web|url=https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2011/12/Christianity-fullreport-web.pdf|title=Global Christianity – A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population|publisher=Pew Research Center}}</ref>|alt=map of worldwide Christianity in 2011]]
Social Anthropologist Juliette Koning and sociologist Heidi Dahles of [[Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam]], agree there has been a "rapid expansion of charismatic Christianity from the 1980s onwards. [[Singapore]], [[China]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Taiwan]], [[Indonesia]], and Malaysia are said to have the fastest-growing Christian communities and the majority of the new believers are "upwardly mobile, urban, [[middle-class]] Chinese". Allan Anderson and Edmond Tang have reported in their book ''Asian and Pentecostal: The Charismatic Face of Christianity in Asia'' that "Asia has the second largest number of Pentecostals/charismatics of any continent in the world, and seems to be fast catching up with the largest, Latin America."{{sfn|Anderson|Tang|2005|p=2}} The ''World Christian Encyclopedia'' estimated 135 million in Asia compared to 80 million in North America.{{sfn|Anderson|Tang|2005|p=2}}
It has been reported also that increasing numbers of young people are becoming Christians in several countries such as [[China]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/05/01/chinese-government-targeting-young-christians-229592|title=Why the Chinese government is targeting young Christians in its latest crackdown|date=14 May 2018|publisher=America magazine|quote=A study of the religious lives of university students in Beijing published in a mainland Chinese academic journal Science and Atheism in 2013 showed Christianity to be the religion that interested students most and the most active on campuses. It concluded there was a "religious fever" in society and "religious forces were infiltrating colleges." With the support of "overseas religious forces," it said, there was a rapid growth in Christianity among university students. It said Christian fellowships on campus mostly refused to succumb to the leadership of the state-backed churches and thus posed "a problem" in the government's administration of religious affairs.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://trainingleadersinternational.org/jgc/76/conversions-to-christianity-among-highly-educated-chinese|title=Conversions to Christianity Among Highly Educated Chinese|date=14 May 2018|publisher=Training leaders }}</ref> Hong Kong,<ref>{{cite book|title=After Migration And Religious Affiliation: Religions, Chinese Identities And Transnational Networks| first= Chee-beng |last= Tan|year= 2014| isbn=9789814590013| page =XXV|publisher=World Scientific|quote=They also point out that more educated migrants and those from Hong Kong are more likely to become Christians than those from mainland China.}}</ref> [[Indonesia]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/53625/INDO_22_0_1107107671_19_56.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|title=Religion and Education in Indonesia|date=30 January 2017|publisher=eCommons Cornell University|quote= Finally, during this century there has been a rapid growth in the number of Chinese Christians. Very few Chinese were Christians at the turn of the century. Today Christians constitute approximately 10 or 15 percent of the Chinese population in Indonesia, and probably a higher percentage among the young. Conversion of Chinese to Christianity accelerated in the 1960s, especially in East Java, and for Indonesia as a whole the proportion of Chinese who were Catholics rose from 2 percent in 1957 to 6 percent in 19.}}</ref> [[Iran]],<ref>{{cite book|title=The Persian Night: Iran Under the Khomeinist Revolution|first=Amir |last=Taher|year= 2020| isbn= 9781594034794| page =343 |publisher=Encounter Books|quote=The reason is that a growing number of Iranians, especially the young, are converting to Zoroastrianism or Christianity.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://landinfo.no/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Iran-Christian-converts-and-house-churches-1-prevalence-and-conditions-for-religious-practice.pdf|title=Report: Iran: Christian converts and house churches (1) –prevalence and conditions for religious practice Translation provided by the Office of the Commissioner-General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, Belgium|date=22 February 2009|publisher=Office of the Commissioner-General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, Belgium|quote=P.15: Chiaramonte (2016), that it is young people in particular who convert to Christianity in today's Iran}}</ref> [[Japan]],<ref>{{cite book|title=International Handbook of Protestant Education| first=David |last= W. Robinson|year= 2012| isbn=9789400723870| page =521 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|quote=A 2006 Gallup survey, however, is the largest to date and puts the number at 6%, which is much higher than its previous surveys. It notes a major increase among Japanese youth professing Christ.}}</ref> [[Singapore]],<ref>{{cite book|title=The Perception of Christianity as a Rational Religion in Singapore: A Missiological Analysis of Christian Conversione| first= Clive|last= S. Chin|year= 2017| isbn= 9781498298094| page =166 |publisher=Routledge|quote=This socio-demographic characterizes Christian converts as mostly .. (2) well-educated, (3) belonging in higher-income brackets, (4) switching their religion between ten and twenty-nine years of age|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DsuuDgAAQBAJ&q=educated+convert+to+christianity+in+Singapore&pg=PT12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~shong/home/SSA1201.pdf|title=Religious Revival Among Chinese in Singapore|date=14 May 2018|publisher=SSA1201 Assignment|quote=Converts to Christianity tend to come from the young, educated, English-speaking Chinese generation }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41308136|title=State and Social Christianity in Post-colonial Singapore|date=21 April 2010|publisher=Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia|jstor=41308136|quote=Christianity has flourished in post-colonial Singapore, especially attracting conversions from among young, urbanized and English- educated.|last1=Goh|first1=Daniel P. S.|journal=Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia|volume=25|issue=1|pages=54–89|doi=10.1355/SJ25-1C|s2cid=144235936|url-access=subscription}}</ref> and [[South Korea]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Sukman | first1 = Jang | year = 2004 | title = Historical Currents and Characteristics of Korean Protestantism after Liberation | journal = Korea Journal | volume = 44 | issue = 4| pages = 133–156 }}</ref>
The [[Council on Foreign Relations]] says the "number of Chinese Protestants has grown by an average of 10 percent annually since 1979".{{sfn|Albert|2018|p=n/a}} Award-winning historian of Christianity, Todd Hartch of [[Eastern Kentucky University]], has written that by 2005, around 6 million Africans were converting annually to Christianity.{{sfn|Hartch|2014|p=1}} According to Iranian historian Ladan Boroumand "Iran today is witnessing the highest rate of Christianization in the world".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/iranians-turn-away-from-the-islamic-republic/|title=Iranians Turn Away from the Islamic Republic|date=20 January 2020|publisher=Journal of Democracy}}</ref>
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While the exact number of [[Dalit]] converts to Christianity in India is not available, religion scholar William R. Burrow of [[Colorado State University]] has estimated that about 8% of Dalits have converted to Christianity.{{sfn|Burrow|2009|p=201}} According to a 2021 study by the Pew Research Center, Christianity has grow in India in recent years due to conversion. Most converts are former Hindus, though some are former Muslims.{{sfn|SAHGAL|EVANS|SALAZAR|STARR|2021|p=n/a}}{{sfn|Frykenberg|Low|2003|p=228}}
Since the 1960s, there has been a substantial increase in the number of conversions from Islam to Christianity, mostly to the [[Evangelical]] and Pentecostal denominations of Christianity.{{sfn|Miller|Johnstone|2015|loc=abstract}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Living among the Breakage: Contextual Theology-Making and Ex-Muslim Christians |first=Duane Alexander |last=Miller |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4982-8417-2 |pages=435–481 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press}}</ref> The 2015 study ''Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census'' estimated that 10.2 million Muslims converted to Christianity.{{sfn|Miller|Johnstone|2015|p=8}}<ref>{{Citation |last=Miller |first=Duane Alexander |title=Christians from a Muslim background in the Middle East |date=2018-09-20 |work=Routledge Handbook of Minorities in the Middle East |pages=132–145 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315626031-10 |access-date=2024-05-28 |place=Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2019. |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9781315626031-10 |isbn=978-1-315-62603-1|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Countries with the largest numbers of Muslims converted to Christianity include Indonesia (6,500,000), Nigeria (600,000), [[Iran]] (500,000 versus only 500 in 1979), the United States (450,000), Ethiopia (400,000), and [[Algeria]] (380,000).{{sfn|Pipes|2021|p=n/a}} [[Indonesia]] is home to the largest Christian community of converts from Islam. Since the mid and late 1960s, between 2 and 2.5 million Muslims converted to Christianity.{{sfn|Anderson|2013|p=145}}{{sfn|Bresnan|2005|p=107}}{{sfn|Daniels|2017|p=102}} According to the [[Council on Foreign Relations]] in 2007, experts estimated that thousands of Muslims in the [[Western world]] converted to Christianity annually, but were not publicized due to fear of retribution.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/religious-conversion-and-sharia-law|title=Religious Conversion and Sharia Law|date=6 June 2007|publisher=Council on Foreign Relations|quote=In the West, experts estimate thousands of Muslims switch to Christianity every year but keep their conversions secret for fear of retribution. "Converts from Islam, especially those who become involved in Christian ministries, often use assumed names, or only their first names, in order to protect themselves and their families," writes Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a Washington-based terrorism analyst in Commentary.}}</ref>
==Methods of conversion==
===Prayer and example===
Christians seek to help others discover God and come to know Jesus through prayer and example.<ref>[[Stephen Cottrell|Cottrell, S.]] (2025), [https://www.thykingdomcome.global/sites/default/files/2025-03/TKC%20Novena%202025%20DIGITAL.pdf The Kingdom Come Novena], page 6: "For ten years we have been praying ''Thy Kingdom Come''. In particular, each year, we have been praying for five people we know that they may come to know Jesus", accessed on 30 May 2025</ref> [[Charles de Foucauld]], for example, lived among the [[Berbers]] in north Africa, seeking their conversion not through sermons, but through his example.<ref>Brockhaus, H., [https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/44647/charles-de-foucauld-a-saint-who-was-he Charles de Foucauld, Catholic ‘revert’ turned saint], ''[[Catholic News Agency]]'', published on 1 December 2022, accessed on 30 May 2025</ref>
=== Coercion ===
While Christian theologians, such as the fourth century Augustine and the ninth century [[Alcuin]], have long maintained that conversion must be voluntary, there are [[Forced conversion#Christianity|historical examples of coercion]] in conversion to Christianity.{{sfn|Allott|1974|p=72}}{{sfn|Brown|1963|pp=107-116}} Constantine used both law and force to eradicate the practice of sacrifice and repress heresy though not specifically to promote conversion.{{sfn|Leithart|2010|p=302}}{{sfn|Lim|2012|p=498}} Theodosius also wrote laws to eliminate heresies, but made no requirement for pagans or Jews to convert to Christianity.{{sfn|Brown|1963|p=286}}{{sfn|Sáry|2019|pp=72-74, 77}}{{sfn|Hebblewhite|2020|loc=chapter 8|p=82}} However, the sixth century Eastern Roman emperor [[Justinian I]] and the seventh century emperor [[Heraclius]] attempted to force cultural and religious uniformity by requiring baptism of the Jews.{{sfn|Kaldellis|2012|p=3}}{{sfn|Irmscher|1988|p=166}}{{sfn|Sharf|1955|pp=103-104}}{{sfn|Lichtenberger|Raja|2018|pp=85–98}} In 612, the Visigothic [[Sisebut|King Sisebut]], prompted by Heraclius, declared the obligatory conversion of all Jews in Spain.{{sfn|García-Arenal|Glazer-Eytan|2019|pp=5–6}} In the many new nation-states being formed in Eastern Europe of the [[Late Middle Ages]], some kings and princes pressured their people to adopt the new religion
===Baptism===
{{Main|Baptism}}
In
[[File:Child baptism with water.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Baptism]] of a child by affusion]]
There are also different modes of baptism in Christianity. These include [[Immersion baptism|immersion]] (dunking), [[affusion]] (pouring), and [[aspersion]] (sprinkling). The most common practice in the ancient church was baptism by immersion of the whole head and body of an adult.{{sfn|Jensen|2012|p=371}} It remained common into the Middle Ages and is still found in the Eastern church, the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches, and in most Protestant denominations.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|2005|p=827}}
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[[Infant baptism]] was controversial for the [[Protestant Reformers]], and remains so for some Protestants, but according to Schaff, it was practiced by the ancients and is neither required nor forbidden in the [[New Testament]].{{sfn|Schaff|1882|p=470}}
The mode of baptism often depends on the denomination one enters, and in some cases, personal choice. Many Anglicans and Lutherans baptize by affusion. Presbyterians and Congregationalists accept baptism by pouring or sprinkling. Steven W. Lemke writes that the Presbyterian [[Westminster Confession]] says, "Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary".{{sfn|Lemke|2008|p=31}}
===Denominational switching===▼
Switching from one Christian denomination, such as Presbyterianism, to another Christian denomination, such as Catholicism, has not generally been seen by researchers as conversion to Christianity. Mark C. Suchman says this is because most sociologists and other scientists have defined conversion as "radical personal change, particularly change involving a shift in one's sense of 'root reality'."{{sfn|Suchman|1992|p=S15}} However, in Suchman's view, this produces a form of 'selection bias' within the research.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|p=S16}} He writes that the study of "everyday" religious mobility is not a substitute for analyses of "true conversion," but the denominational switching that he refers to as "religious mobility" can be seen as an aspect of conversion.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|pp=S16-S17}}▼
Suchman describes six types, or causes, of "religious mobility" as a supplement and complement to the more traditionally limited concept of conversion.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|pp=S17-S18}} He draws on theories from the sociology of deviance where there is some recognition that "a change of religious affiliation generally represents a break with previous norms and a severing of social commitments—even when it does not involve a radical personality realignment".{{sfn|Suchman|1992|p=S18}}▼
Theories of deviance define what can be considered as the variables and determinants involved and what kind of mobility can be seen as random.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|pp=S18-S19}} "Strain theory" argues that those who are unhappy in their religious affiliation will generally "engage in deviance" from that group.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|pp=S19-S20}} Those who are not well integrated in their religious social group, those who become enmeshed in social relations outside the group with participants in deviant cultures, and those whose ethnicity and traditional background differs from their current affiliation are candidates for switching.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|pp=S20-S21}} Intermarriage, with partners of different religions and/or denominations, is also associated with religious switching.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|p=S21}}▼
=== Confirmation ===
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Theologian Knut Alfsvåg writes that [[confirmation]] was first introduced by Pope Innocent I in the 5th century as part of the unified sacrament of baptism, chrismation (confirmation) and first communion that was commonly accepted by the 12th century. It was formally designated a sacrament in 1274 by the Council of Lyon.{{sfn|Alfsvåg|2022|pp=1, 6}}{{sfn|Warnke|1971|p=n/a}} Baptism, along with the declaration and instruction involved in confirmation, and the Eucharist, have remained the essential elements of initiation in all Christian communities, however, Alfsvåg writes that confirmation has differing status in different denominations.{{sfn|Alfsvåg|2022|p=1}}
[[File:(1918) Cape Mount, Confirmation Class.jpg|thumb|Confirmation class of 1918 at Cape Mount|alt=photo from 1918 of African children all dressed in white for confirmation at Cape Mount]]
Some see baptism, confirmation, and communion as elements of a unified sacrament through which one becomes a Christian and part of the church.{{sfn|Alfsvåg|2022|p=1}} Also known as [[Chrismation]] by eastern Christians, under some circumstances, confirmation may be administered immediately after baptism. When an adult decides to convert to the Catholic or Orthodox Church, they become a "catechumen" and attend classes to learn what conversion means and requires. Once classes are completed and the candidate is baptized, adults can then be confirmed immediately following baptism. A clergy member will anoint their forehead, (or in the case of Byzantine Christians, the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, breast, hands, and feet), with the ''chrisma'' (oil) calling upon the [[Holy Spirit in Christianity|Holy Spirit]] to seal the convert with the gifts of the Spirit.{{sfn|Cabasilas|p=n/a|ps=: "Holy Baptism is the first of seven Sacraments in the Orthodox Christian Church. Together with the Sacrament of Holy Chrism (anointing with oil) it joins the candidate to the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church."}}
In Western churches that practice infant baptism ([[Catholic Church]], the [[Church of England]], [[Anglicans]], [[Lutherans]], [[Presbyterians]], [[Congregationalists]], [[Methodists]], [[Church of the Nazarene|Nazarenes]], [[Moravian Church|Moravians]], and [[United Protestants]]), infants who are baptized are not generally confirmed immediately except in cases of emergency such as illness or impending death. Otherwise, child candidates must wait till they are old enough to make a decision for themselves. Confirmation cannot occur until the candidate has participated in confirmation classes, demonstrated an adequate understanding of what they are agreeing to, and are able to profess "with their own mouth" their desire to be confirmed in their faith.{{sfn|Osmer|1996|pp=197-202}} In the Eastern Churches ([[Eastern Orthodoxy]], [[Oriental Orthodoxy]], and the [[Church of the East]]), the rite is called [[chrismation]], and is done immediately after baptism, regardless of age.
To be fully in communion with the Catholic Church (a phrase used since c. 205), the Catholic Church requires a convert to have professed faith and practice the sacraments—baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist.{{sfn|Jakubiak|2021|p=164}} The Orthodox Church also maintains the tradition of baptism, chrismation and first communion as a united rite till this day, referring to chrismation as "the Pentecost of the individual" (a reference to the Holy Spirit).{{sfn|Alfsvåg|2022|p=5}}
The practice of confirmation was criticized during the Reformation by those who do not consider confirmation a condition for conversion to Christianity or being a fully accepted member of the church.{{sfn|Alfsvåg|2022|pp=1, 7}} Luther saw confirmation as "a churchly rite or sacramental ceremony
▲
▲Suchman describes six types, or causes, of "religious mobility" as a supplement and complement to the more traditionally limited concept of conversion.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|pp=S17-S18}} He draws on theories from the sociology of deviance where there is some recognition that "a change of religious affiliation generally represents a break with previous norms and a severing of social commitments—even when it does not involve a radical personality realignment".{{sfn|Suchman|1992|p=S18}}
▲Theories of deviance define what can be considered as the variables and determinants involved and what kind of mobility can be seen as random.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|pp=S18-S19}} "Strain theory" argues that those who are unhappy in their religious affiliation will generally "engage in deviance" from that group.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|pp=S19-S20}} Those who are not well integrated in their religious social group, those who become enmeshed in social relations outside the group with participants in deviant cultures, and those whose ethnicity and traditional background differs from their current affiliation are candidates for switching.{{sfn|Suchman|1992|pp=S20-S21}} Intermarriage
In the Catholic Church, the [[Second Vatican Council]] ordered a new [[reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church|rite of reception into the church]] be drafted, which recognised the step of admission being taken by people "who have already been validly baptized".<ref>Second Vatican Council, [https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html ''Sacrosanctum Concilium''], paragraph 69, published on 4 December 1963, accessed on 8 July 2025</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Christianity}}
* [[Catholicisation]]
* [[Christian mission to Jews]]
* [[Christianization]]
* [[Conversion of the Jews (future event)
* [[Credo]]
* [[Engel scale]]
*
* [[List of converts to Christianity]]
* [[Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults]] (RCIA)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Conversion To Christianity}}
[[Category:Conversion to Christianity| ]]
[[Category:Christian practices]]
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