History of Christian Conversion

Conversion has played a central role in the history of Christianity. In this first in-depth and wide-ranging narrative history David Kling examines the dynamic of turning to the Christian faith by individuals families and people groups. Global in reach the narrative progresses from early Christian beginnings in the Roman world to Christianity's expansion into Europe the Americas China India and Africa. Conversion is often associated with a particular strand of modern Christianity (evangelical) and a particular type of experience (sudden overwhelming). However when examined over two millennia it emerges as a phenomenon far more complex than any one-dimensional profile would suggest. No single unitary paradigm defines conversion and no easily explicable process accounts for why people convert to Christianity. Rather a multiplicity of factors-historical personal social geographical theological psychological and cultural-shape the converting process. <p/><em>A History of Christian Conversion</em> not only narrates the conversions of select individuals and peoples it also engages current theories and models to explain conversion and examines recurring themes in the conversion process: divine presence gender and the body agency and motivation testimony and memory group- and self-identity authentic and nominal conversion and modes of communication. Accessible to scholars students and those with a general interest in conversion Kling's book is the most satisfying and comprehensive account of conversion in Christian history to date; this major work will become a standard must-read in conversion studies.<br>