conversion
What to know
Conversion, also called religious switching, is the process of changing from one religious identity and/or affiliation to another. The conversion experience is often defined by a change of beliefs, practices, and community and might be marked by rituals and rites of passage. Some people who convert have been proselytized, or persuaded by adherents of a particular religion to join their religion. Some of the reasons people convert to other religions include a change or loss in beliefs, marrying into a family that is a different religion, or disagreeing with the politics of their religious community.
Forced conversion is a form of conversion in which one is coerced into giving up their religion for another or for no religious affiliation. Some groups who have been subjected to forced conversion have continued to practice their religious tradition secretly. Forced conversion often intersects with attempts at forced cultural assimilation, such as in the federal Indigenous “boarding schools” of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In these institutions, hundreds of thousands of Indigenous American children were removed from their homes and forced to convert to Christianity, to give up their Indigenous religions and other cultural practices, and to give up their native languages.
Another related usage of the term conversion is conversion therapy, a practice that targets LGBTQ+ individuals, often youth, and attempts to forcibly change their sexual orientations or gender identities. While mainstream medical and mental health organizations discredit this practice as harmful — and it is illegal to practice on minors in many states — it is still promoted by some right-wing religious groups.
Note that definitions and concepts related to conversion differ across religious and cultural traditions. For example, some people who choose to become Muslims might call themselves Muslim “reverts” instead of converts. This word choice reflects the Muslim belief that all humans are born as Muslims with natural faith in God, which means that finding Islam is a return to one’s natural state. Research organizations, meanwhile, may use the term “revert” to refer to someone who leaves their childhood religion and returns to it later in life. Some people might not use the language of conversion at all despite moving between different religious traditions and spiritualities, such as those who belong to more than one religious tradition and those from cultures in which multiple religious practice is normalized. Some people who join extremist religious groups convert through a process of radicalization.
Since definitions and understandings of religious conversion vary, matching the language that people use for their own religious experiences helps to ensure that their experiences are represented accurately. However, it’s important if discussing cases of forced conversion to clearly distinguish them from voluntary conversion.
Additional resources
- Indian Christians fear attacks or jail over conversions (BBC)
- Nikki Haley says she’s Christian, but it’s complicated (Religion News Service)
Summary
Conversion, also called religious switching, is the process of changing from one religious identity and/or affiliation to another. Forced conversion is a form of conversion in which one is coerced into giving up their religion for another or for no religious affiliation. multiple religious practice is normalized. Some people who join extremist religious groups convert through a process of radicalization. Since definitions and understandings of religious conversion vary, matching the language that people use for their own religious experiences helps to ensure that their experiences are represented accurately. However, it’s important if discussing cases of forced conversion to clearly distinguish them from voluntary conversion.