ABSTRACT
The past several decades witnessed a renewed scholarly interest in diverse forms of Hinduism as so-called “missionary religions.” Referring to Hindu movements as “missionary,” of course, raises the question of conversion. Do these movements aim to convert others to their own teachings, or do they not? This chapter explores the theology of conversion that emerges from one strand of missionary Hinduism: the non-dualist tradition of Advaita Vedānta. The first section offers a brief survey of several theological and social-scientific treatments of conversion as a cross-cultural phenomenon. Two subsequent sections develop an outline of conversion in these traditions, rooted in various conversion narratives and in the teachings of such prominent Vedānta missionaries as Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) and Swami Chinmayananda (1916–1993). From this analysis, the chapter argues that missionary Advaita does advance a specific understanding of conversion, albeit one that proceeds by the gradual transformation and perfection of rival religious views rather than their explicit exclusion. The result is a form of religious belonging that is neither exclusive nor multiple, but non-dual.
