Date of Award
1992
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Religion
First Advisor
Pamela Nickels
Second Advisor
Jesse Harris
Third Advisor
Mike Runcie
Abstract
This paper discusses the various theories concerning religious conversion. psychodynamic, attribution theory cognitive, attachment theory, role-person merger theory, and faith development theory. Types of religious conversion are distinguished first by the common polarities: e.g. active vs passive, then 6 conversion motifs are explained. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS) and a questionnaire were given to a sample (n=30), 97% of whom had experienced an active conversion. It was found that those who had experienced an active, conscious conversion scored significantly higher on 8 of the 10 scales of the TSCS, signifying a stronger sense of self in areas such as self satisfaction, behavior, self criticism, moral-ethical self, and social self.
Recommended Citation
Risner, Beth Haley, "Religious Conversion and Self Identity" (1992). Theses. 1222.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theses/1222
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.