Konwersjonizm

Konwersjonizm is a term used in religious studies to describe an emphasis on personal conversion as the decisive moment in adopting a religious faith. It asserts that belonging to a religious community or attaining salvation is primarily the result of a conscious, individual decision to accept the teaching and a transformative, often experiential experience—commonly described in Evangelical and Protestant contexts as being “born again.”

Practically, konwersjonizm is associated with revivalist preaching, personal testimony, altar calls, and extensive evangelization and missionary activity. It can coexist with doctrinal commitment and moral reform but foregrounds the inner transformation of the individual rather than merely adherence to creed or ritual.

Historically, konwersjonizm has been central to Protestant revival movements and has shaped later Evangelical and Pentecostal currents, along with modern missionary strategies. It influences notions of religious authority, emphasizing personal encounter and commitment over sacramental mediation in some contexts while coexisting with other forms of religious legitimation in others.

Critics argue that konwersjonizm may overemphasize individual choice at the expense of communal life, tradition, or sacraments, and can contribute to exclusivist or rapid-conversion dynamics. Proponents, however, view it as a powerful catalyst for personal faith, moral renewal, and social engagement.

In Polish-language scholarship, konwersjonizm is used to analyze patterns of religious change, cross-cultural evangelism, and the construction of religious identities in modern societies. See also evangelism, conversion, missionary work.