Is conversion a change of religion or a religious change? Possibilities and limitations of historical research of the late 19th century and early 20th century
Abstract
The reasons for conversion or withdrawal from traditional churches could be different in every historical period. Historians should recognize the secondary or contrary historical processes like foundation of small movements and "free" churches, and also appreciate individual motives of a convert.
The author of this paper researches conversion on the basis of 1) religious term and its different meanings in historical contexts, 2) study of the convert''s "Lebenswelt" and his local church and religious culture. At first he compares the similar meanings of the term conversion in different theological encyclopedias (change of religion) and puts forward Karl Rahner''s notion of internal conversion as Bekehrung (a change of the involved man in his spiritual relationship to God) as an inspiring tool for the methodology of ecumenical or comparative church history.
A summary of church development and the legislative status of different denominations in the Habsburg monarchy in the 19th century follows. The author approaches that the wave of religious changes in the late 19th century was truly brought about by the internal pluralization of religious culture.
He demonstrates his point by analysing conversion in the Prague diocese in 1900.