Conversion in the Context of New Religious Movements: A Review of Ten Sociological Theories
Conversion in the Context of New Religious Movements: A Review of Ten Sociological Theories

Summary/Abstract: Religious conversion equally preoccupied theologians, sociologists, psychologists, and anthropologists, but conversion in the context on new religious phenomenon represented a controversial subject which concerned not only the scientists, but also the public who required an explanation for the relatively high number of youths who converted to controversial new religious movements. In this context Sociology tried to explain religious conversion as a process basically influenced by the social/group forces and individual expectances and searches, developing a theory of active and processual conversion. Sociologists as John Lofland, Rodney Stark, Arthur Greil, Max Heirich, David Balch, David Taylor, Roger Straus, Norman Skonovd, David Snow, Richard Machalek, Theodore Long, Jeffrey Hadden, Stephen Wilson, David Gartrell, and Zane Shanon, to mention only the ones who’s theories we analysed in this article, substantially contributed at developing a new paradigm of understanding religious conversion, useful for all the fields of religious research.

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