Questioning the Conversion Paradox

Abstract

A note on languageAll recorded interviews and informal conversations were conducted in Dutch, transcribed (in the case of interviews), and translated into English. Throughout this dissertation, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Arabic terminology is italicised and provided in its English phonetic spelling.The meaning of such terms is provided upon the first instance, whilst a full glossary is provided in appendix A for terms that appear more than once. Jewish interlocutors used both Hebrew and Yiddish words and, in these instances, I adhere to the interpretation used by the individual concerned and/or their communities. Variations between different Jewish communities are not further specified. Muslim women used Islamic terms interchangeably in Arabic and Dutch. Here I also closely follow their original statements, for example: Whenever cited as saying 'God', they said God in Dutch, whilst 'Allah' (which can also mean 'God') is left untranslated.In all cases, the personal names of my interlocutors are pseudonyms. For clarity and structure, I primarily used Hebrew names for Jewish women, Arabic names for Muslim women, and Christian names for Christian women. Whilst the dates of my interviews are not included in the main text, an overview of all interlocutors and interviews is provided in appendix B.For references to the Hebrew Bible, I made use of the Jewish Publication Society's English translation, called The Jewish Publication Society's Tanakh, second edition of 2003, and abbreviated as 'JPS' in this dissertation. In the Christian case study, I mainly used the New International Version (the edition of 2011 and abbreviated as 'NIV') for quoted Bible verses unless stated otherwise. The NIV is a translation by biblical scholars from Evangelical communities, published by Biblica, and used and sold by the Hillsong church. Citations from the Qur'an are from the 2007 The Qur'an translated into English, by Alan Jones, abbreviated as 'QAJ'. Following the Chicago Manual of Style, generic references to scripture are not italicised.-Lisa At some point… Islam becomes part of your life, a part of who you are.-Hanan Aliza, Lisa, and Hanan are three women who shared their experience of religious conversion with me. They all give different understandings of what this process meant for them: It can be a process of the heart; it can be a conscious choice to submit to the plan of God; it can also occur gradually until, at some point, religion becomes part of who you are. Although none of them were raised with a religion, Aliza became Jewish, Lisa became Christian, and Hanan became Muslim. All three converted, and respectively, 'did giyur', 'accepted Jesus', or 'returned to Islam'. Within each religion, specific guidelines exist about what it means to join and there are often rituals in place to mark the inclusion of newcomers, such as the mikvah, baptism, or shahada. Conversion is, however, far more than official rituals or guidelines and implies negotiating various aspects of life, many of them gendered. Such negotiations emerge in areas as di...

Introduction to the Special Issue “Contested Conversions”

“…Cumulatively, this study has challenged the assumption that conversion means moving from one (secular) sphere of life to another (religious) sphere, and it has highlighted the specific role of gender and sexuality in the construction of the religion/secular divide. The comparative analyses also problematised scholarly, public and political views in which liberal-secular society and conservative religious communities are seen as opposed on the basis of gender and sexuality (Beekers and Schrijvers 2020;Schrijvers 2021Schrijvers , 2022.…”