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religious conversion
Sign in to saveAlso known as conversion, converting to a religion, converting to another religion
adoption of religious beliefs
Religious conversion is when a person adopts the beliefs and practices of a religion different from their own or from none at all. It matters because it affects how people understand themselves, their communities, and their place in the world, and it has played a significant role throughout history in shaping societies and cultures.
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Religious conversion is the adoption of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others. Thus "religious conversion" would describe the abandoning of adherence to one denomination and affiliating with another. This might be from one to another denomination within the same religion, for example, from Protestant Christianity to Roman Catholicism or from Shi'a Islam to Sunni Islam. In some cases, religious conversion "marks a transformation of religious identity and is symbolized by special rituals".
People convert to a different religion for various reasons, including active conversion by free choice due to a change in beliefs, secondary conversion, deathbed conversion, conversion for convenience, marital conversion, and forced conversion. Religious conversion can also be driven by practical considerations. Historically, people have converted to evade taxes, to escape military service or to gain political representation.