Conversion to Christianity: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:21, 23 May 2025

Revision as of 06:32, 30 May 2025

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==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.,{{sfn|Štefan|2022|p=101}} Andand in the [[Northern crusades]], the fighting princes obtained widespread conversion through political pressure or military coercion even though the theologians continued to maintain that conversion must be voluntary.{{sfn|Fonnesberg-Schmidt|2007|p=24}}

===Baptism===

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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,", but for Luther, it was baptism that was necessary and not confirmation.{{sfn|Warnke|1971|p=n/a}} John Wesley removed the rite altogether leaving Methodism with no rite of confirmation from 1785 to 1965.{{sfn|McAlilly|2019|p=iv}} These see confirmation as a combination of intercessory prayer and as a graduation ceremony after the period of instruction.{{sfn|Alfsvåg|2022|p=1}}

==See also==