Continuity and Discontinuity in Conversion Stories

Abstract

In this article, I focus on continuity and discontinuity between religious traditions, as perceived by converts. I interviewed six converts: three Muslims who became Christian, three Christians who converted to Islam. They reflect on their experiences with their 'old' and 'new' religion. What were the changes they underwent? What remained the same? In their stories, they often conclude that God remained a constant presence in their life, even if they did not experience this at an earlier stage.

“Piety Stories”: Muslim Tatar Women’s Identity Performance, Negotiation, and Transformation through Storytelling

“…This is why, following Sabirova (2006) and Garaev (2008), I argue that the physical experiences of taking on the performance of the five daily prayers and donning of the headscarf often become key narrative turning points in Muslim piety stories. These physical acts illustrate the woman's spiritual commitment to Islam and discursively mark the "before" and "after" life experiences (Hovi, 2004;Speelman, 2006). I further argue that a Muslim Tatar woman's ability to speak about her religious commitment in a piety story goes beyond contributing to her own self-transformation: it provides other practicing women with shared meanings and experiences to draw from, and invites non-practicing women to step onto the road to Muslim piety, thereby effecting personal and social transformation.…”