Religious conversion and commitment

Leaving behind theories conceiving of religious conversion as a sudden “shock” (Focant, 2012), it is nowadays admitted in academic literature that conversion should be regarded as a process. The latter comprises mainly the ways in which converts “encounter” their new religion, how they integrate into their new community of believers, as well as the lasting consequences of their conversion on their secondary socialization (Le Pape, 2015). Yet, conversion remains a multi-faceted phenomenon, that could also be regarded as a form of commitment (in French, engagement) of the individuals taking part in this process. This specific way of conceptualizing religious conversion will be at the core of this conference. The papers presented will be organized along four complementary axes:

1. Conversion as individual commitment
2. Aesthetics and religious conversion
3. Conversion as activism
4. (de)Conversion and disengagement

This conference is part of the events of the Chaire d’Études sur le Fait Religieux at CERI, co-directed by Alain Dieckhoff and Stéphane Lacroix. It is organized with the support of the Bureau Central des Cultes (BCC). The Chair is supported by Groupe Bayard.