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Religious Conversion in sub-Saharan Africa: A Rational Process

Kwaku Ampem Affram

ID: 10580229

Department of Psychology – University of Ghana

Legon Campus

Instructor: Professor Joseph Safo.

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Abstract

Understanding religious conversion in sub-Saharan Africa cannot be done without

understanding t
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Religious Conversion in sub-Saharan Africa: A Rational Process

Religious conversion can be thought of as the adoption of new religious beliefs that
differ from the new convert’s previous principles and beliefs (Finke, Stark, 2000). This could
be from denomination to another in the same religion e.g. from Catholic Christianity to
Protestant Christianity. Conversion can also be said to be change in religious identity.
Religious conversion marks a transformation of religious identity and is also symbolized by
special rituals e.g. baptism in Christianity. It requires the internalization of the new belief
system. There are two main ways in which religious conversion is studied: The Classical
Approach and the Contemporary Approach.

The Classical Approach is dependent mainly on the idea of sudden conversion. The
conversion of Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus serves as the Biblical depiction of the
classic sudden conversion. Sudden conversions are highly emotive but not necessarily
rational. The convert has a radical reorganization of their belief system and sense of self.
Emotion is the dominant force in this irrational transformation, which eventually leads to a
change in behaviour. For these sudden converts, the conversion is not a drawn out process; it
happens in one single instance and then change permanent hereafter. Sudden changes like this
usually occur during childhood and are very emotional experiences. They are more often than
not the result of crushing anxiety and guilt from sin that becomes agonizing, with conversion
becoming an efficient solution to ease those emotions (Spilka et al, 2003). Although
emotional factors have been found to correlate with sudden conversions, there has been some
debate as to whether there is a cause-effect relationship between the two. Coe, in his work
suggested causation in his work where 17 sudden converts had dominant emotional factors
affecting the conversion (Coe, 1916). However, Spellman and his fellow researchers had data
that suggested something different. In their work, sudden coverts only scored highly on levels
of emotionality after conversion, not before (Baskett, Byrne, Spellman, 1971).

In the Contemporary Approach, the conversion process is viewed as a gradual, highly

intellectual, well thought out process. This particular approach is a contrast to the classic
approach (Strickland, 1924). Typically, gradual conversion does not follow a single,
significant event but is rather a more distinguished and thoughtful process that occurs over
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some length of time. It can also be described as constantly moving towards the goal with no
conclusive point where the conversion is initiated. The process is cognitive, with no
emotional crisis.

The average of new converts have been examined by several researchers and has been
found to be between the ages of 15 and 16 years. This has been a consistent finding across the
last 40 or so years. This falls in line with Erikson’s postulation that it around this age where
individuals are trying to form an identity for themselves (Erikson, 1968).

There are four key processes involved for conversion to be complete. Primarily,
conversion must take place within a specific context e.g. cultural, social, political, economic
etc. Also, there must be an event or series of events that will provoke conversion, either
suddenly or over a period of time. These events are most often either a crisis of some sort or a
search for meaning or purpose. Commitment from the convert is also required. This one of
the most important factors that brings about a successful conversion.

During pre-colonial times, the indigenous people of sub-Saharan Africa had diverse
religious beliefs that were in opposition to what they believed in. The colonialists saw this
when they arrived and therefore decided to indoctrinate the people in what they, the
colonialists, believed in.

Education was one of the key methods the missionaries that came with the colonialists
used to convert the local people to their beliefs. They set up schools and tried to convince
local people to send their children to school. The children that went to these schools had to
follow whatever instructions they were given e.g. going for mass, reciting the apostle’s creed.
Eventually these children started to question their traditional beliefs after some time had
passed because they felt that what they were being taught made more sense to them than what
they had been previously taught by their uneducated parents. Other students believed that
whatever the white had brought was superior to what they already had. They, in turn taught
their parents. Eventually, their parents also converted.

The colonialists realized that converting the local people to their religion could
further enhance the extent of their rule over the people. So they worked with the missionaries
that came with them in order to influence the people. The missionaries spread their gospel
around place of trade in order to get more people to listen to what they had to say. The
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missionaries also made moves to supply the local people with social amenities like clean
water in order to get the people to be more receptive to what they had say.

It must also be noted that some of colonialists used brute force to convert some of the
local people i.e. the slaves they took.

Conclusion

Comparing the Contemporary Approach to conversion to what the missionaries and

the colonialists did in sub-Saharan Africa, some similarities can be noted. The conversion
process was very gradual for the most part. A significant number of the local people were
given a significant amount of time to assimilate the religious teachings they were taught.
Those who had the privilege of getting formal education from the military schools were able
to thoughtfully process or better still, rationalize all of the information they were given and
then later decide for themselves that was the path they wanted to take. There was hardly any
big event that could have prompted the people suddenly change their religious beliefs.

All this evidence points to the fact that the religious conversion process in sub-
Saharan Africa was mostly a rational process rather than an emotive one.
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References

Baskett, G.D., Byrne, D., Spellman, C.M. (1971). Manifest anxiety as a contributing factor in
religious conversion. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 36, pp 245-247.

Coe, G.A. (1916). The psychology of religion. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Finke, R., Stark, R. (2000). Acts of faith: Explaining the human side of religion. California:
University of California Press.

Spilka, B et al. (2003). The psychology of religion, an empirical approach. New York:
Guilford Pubn.

Strickland, M.P. (1924). Psychology of religious experience. New York: Abingdon Press.