Conversion

?
Conversions are usually a personal experience but can sometimes be communal such as in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, where the disciples were gathered in a room and received the Holy Spirit.
'When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly the sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from Heaven and filled the whole house where they were siting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated.
1 of 20
Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2
It came to rest on each of them and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
2 of 20
Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2
This is a dramatic collective religious experience. Peter took courage from it an addressed the crowds, preaching to them and encouraging them to repent. The crowd responded and many of them were converted.
3 of 20
Acts 2:37-41
'When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other Apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?". Peter replied, "repent and be baptised, every one of you. In the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
4 of 20
Acts 2:37-41
'And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call.' With many other words he warned them, and he pleaded with them.
5 of 20
Acts 2:37-41
' Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.' Those who accepted his message were baptised and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
6 of 20
A conversion is often volitional or self-surrendering.
The conversion may involve the giving up of the personal will, either freely (volitional) or with resistance and an internal battle (self-surrendering)
7 of 20
A conversion can either be passive or active.
Either the experience come upon them somewhat unexpectedly, without them deliberately seeking it, or someone might specifically seek a spiritual experience by going to an evangelist meeting.
8 of 20
Conversion are often transforming.
Conversions may involve a thorough transformation, creating a new person, or as Paul writes ' a new creation'. ( 2 Corinthians 5:17)
9 of 20
William James understood conversion in psychological terms and discussed a number of key features of conversion.
A conversion can either be gradual or sudden. However, even sudden conversions may have held prior sub-conscious development. Billy Graham agreed that conversion did not have to be an instant dateable experience.
10 of 20
William James
A conversion is the unifying of the inner self. The divided self was an awareness of incompleteness. Sometimes a conversion can be a matter of intellectual persuasion; this involves conflict.
11 of 20
William James
A conversion can also be a moral transformation: this is where someone changes the way that they live out their life as a result of where it is the change in lifestyle is the key factor.
12 of 20
Augustine
A conversion can be a transformation of no religion to a faith. Augustine writes of his conversion; 'As I came to the end of the sentence, it was as though the light of confidence flooded into my heart and all the darkness of doubt was dispelled.'
13 of 20
Sundar Singh
A conversion can also be from one faith to another. Sundar Singh was raised a Sikh and was dissatisfied with his faith and sought ultimate meaning in Hinduism and Christianity.
14 of 20
Sundar Singh
Dissatisfied with both Hinduism and Christianity, he planned to commit suicide if God did not reveal himself to Sundar. He then saw a vision of Jesus and became an active Christian for the rest of him life.
15 of 20
John Wesley
A conversion can also be from faith (believing) to faith (trusting). From mind to heart. John Wesley was aware that he did not have a faith in Christ as the persona saviour. However, he records that his heart felt strangely warmed.
16 of 20
John Wesley
'I did trust in Christ. Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given to me that he had taken away my sins, even mine...'
17 of 20
C.S.Lewis
Intellectual Conversion; Recounts how in 1931, he walked and talked for hours with Tolkien about myth and Christianity and became convinced that Jesus was the Son of God.
18 of 20
Augustine
Moral conversion; his life was challenged when he read the words from Romans which tells the reader to abandon the works of the flesh and to be clothed with Christ.
19 of 20
Sensory Visions
Can be group or individual. Can be corporeal in nature and have an object that is external and appears to be physical in nature, but only visible to certain people.
20 of 20

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

It came to rest on each of them and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Back

Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2

Card 3

Front

This is a dramatic collective religious experience. Peter took courage from it an addressed the crowds, preaching to them and encouraging them to repent. The crowd responded and many of them were converted.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

'When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other Apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?". Peter replied, "repent and be baptised, every one of you. In the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

'And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call.' With many other words he warned them, and he pleaded with them.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Philosophy resources:

See all Philosophy resources »See all Religious Experiences resources »