Browsing by Subject "kääntymiskokemukset"

Following the so-called migrant crisis in Europe, the number of Muslim asylum seekers invoking conversion to Christianity has increased considerably. It can be assumed that there are multiple motives behind the conversions – this thesis aims at increasing understanding of the experiences of those who have undergone a religious transformation. The means of achieving this objective include data from semi-structured interviews with ten self-proclaimed converts and three pastors working with people of Muslim backgrounds, analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. Each participant had his own unique experience about the conversion process, but there were also common aspects shared by the interviewees. For many, losing faith in Islam was affected by the societal problems in their home countries. Accordingly, the freedom and peace in Europe were linked to Christianity. Most of the participants had initially attended the congregations from other than religious motives. Many had felt alone, bored and depressed in a foreign country without meaningful activities, and therefore they had accepted the invitation to attend a church event in the absence of other competing options. The most common reason for becoming interested in learning more about Christianity was the dissonance between their earlier views and what they faced at the congregations. The interviewees had strong views about the differences between their old and new faiths, which is common among recent converts. However, most participants had at some point struggled between Islam and Christianity. The conversion had affected the lives of the participants significantly. All of them experienced that their feelings and attitudes had changed along with the conversion process. They felt that through following Jesus they had found a new kind of a peace and they had grown to be more loving and forgiving. According to the participants, the reactions of the families were mostly negative, including cutting ties, insults and threats, and in the most extreme cases also honour violence. The participants expressed that they had faced disapproval also from some Muslims in Finland, but there were also neutral and positive reactions. The participants hoped people would understand that among the people of Muslim backgrounds attending congregations there are those who have become ‘real Christians’. They underlined that the conversion is a long and challenging process – therefore, the example of Jesus should be followed in showing love and patience also to those who initially approach the congregations with non-religious motives. At a general level, the experiences disclosed by the interviewed converts are in line with the interviewed pastors’ observations about what is common among the people of Muslim backgrounds they have worked with.