Understanding Religious Conversion

Synopsis: Understanding Religious Conversion begins with emphasis on the value of respecting religious/theological interpretations of conversion while coordinating social scientific studies of how personal, social, and cultural issues are relevant to the human transformational process. It encourages us to bring together the perspectives of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and religious studies into critical and mutually-informing conversation for establishing a richer and more accurate perception of the complex phenomenon of religious conversion. The case of St. Augustine's conversion experience superbly illustrates the complicated and multidimensional process of religious change. By critically extending the contributions of the literature within Lewis Rambo's interdisciplinary framework, Dong Young Kim presents a more integrated picture of how personal, social, cultural, and religious/theological components interact with one another in the process of Augustine's conversion. In doing so, he has struggled with how to relocate more effectively and practically the conversion narrative of Augustine within the context of pastoral care and ministry (and the field of the academy)--in order to facilitate a better understanding of the conversion stories of the church members as well as to enhance the experiences of religious conversion within the Christian community. Endorsements: "Understanding Religious Conversion by Dong Young Kim is a lucid and nuanced exploration of Augustine's fascinating and influential conversion. The depth and breadth of Kim's knowledge is astonishing . . . He provides us with a compelling interpretation of one of the most important figures in the history of Christianity, establishing a new standard of scholarship for conversion studies. I enthusiastically recommend this book as one of the best interdisciplinary books ever written on the intricate, complex processes of human transformation." --Lewis R. Rambo, Yonsei University "Kim has crafted an exhaustively researched and readable account of Augustine's process of conversion . . . He has effectively linked the best current studies of religious conversion in the literature with an intense and careful re-reading of Augustine's works and the best current critical historical, sociocultural, psychological, and theological studies of Augustine. It allows the reader to discover, or rediscover, whole aspects of a familiar story from a unique new perspective." --From the Foreword by John Berthrong, Boston University Author Biography: Dong Young Kim is Professor of the Institute of Ministry and Theological Studies of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea and a member of the faculty at Hanshin University School of Theology. As a former army chaplain, he is an ordained pastor in PCROK who completed his DTheol at Boston University School of Theology.