Mission and Conversion
This annotated bibliography introduces key texts exploring Christian mission and conversion, core themes in the study of World Christianity. It highlights how Christianity spread through social networks, religious institutions, and cross-cultural encounters.
- González, Ondina E., and Justo González. Christianity in Latin America: A History. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
This comprehensive volume traces the development of Christianity in Latin America from the colonial period to the present, emphasizing the interplay between religion, culture, and politics. The book provides a balanced narrative that integrates theological developments with social and historical transformations across the region.
- Gooren, Henri. “Reassessing Conventional Approaches to Conversion: Toward a New Synthesis.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 46, no. 3 (2007): 337–353.
Gooren critiques traditional models of religious conversion for their linear and static assumptions, proposing instead the concept of a “religious mobility” framework. This article broadens the analytical lens on conversion by emphasizing process, continuity, and individual agency across varying religious contexts.
- Lofland, John, and Norman Skonovd. “Conversion Motifs.” Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion 20, no. 4 (1981): 373–385.
Lofland and Skonovd categorize religious conversion experiences into six distinct motifs: intellectual, mystical, experimental, affectional, revivalist, and coercive. They argue that these motifs reveal patterns in how individuals interpret and engage with conversion, shifting the analytical focus from theological doctrines to social-psychological processes. This typology has become influential in the sociological study of religion, offering framework for understanding diverse conversion trajectories.
- Nock, Arthur Darby. Conversion: The Old and the New in Religion from Alexander the Great to Augustine of Hippo. University Press of America, 1985 (originally published 1933).
This seminal work explores the concept of religious conversion in the Greco-Roman world, distinguishing between external adherence to religious practices and inner, transformative commitment. Although dated in many ways the book remains the classical account for understanding how early Christianity redefined personal religious identity in contrast to ancient norms.
- Prien, Hans-Jürgen. Christianity in Latin America. Brill, 2013.
Prien offers a detailed and critical survey of Christianity in Latin America from the colonial era to the 21st century, with particular attention to theological trends, ecclesiastical institutions, and socio-political contexts.
- Schwaller, John Frederick. The History of the Catholic Church in Latin America: From Conquest to Revolution and Beyond. New York University Press, 2011, pp. 71–95.
In this section, Schwaller examines the consolidation of Catholicism in colonial Latin America, focusing on the institutional structures, clerical reforms, and the evolving relationship between Church and Crown. He highlights how religious orders, diocesan clergy, and lay confraternities contributed to both spiritual control and cultural integration across diverse Indigenous populations. The chapter underscores the complex role of the Church as both an agent of colonial power and a mediator of local social and religious life.
- Stark, Rodney. The Rise of Christianity. How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries. HarperCollins 1997, 1-27
In the opening chapter (pp. 1–27) of The Rise of Christianity, Rodney Stark argues that the growth of early Christianity can be explained through sociological factors rather than miraculous or purely theological causes. He emphasizes the role of social networks, urban dynamics, and the appeal of Christian ethics in fostering conversion. Stark sets the foundation for his thesis by proposing that religious movements grow through rational, relational, and historically observable patterns.