ABSTRACT
Conversion is a movement among faith systems and provides an identity-giving experience. The experience of conversion, manifested in language, is termed conversion narratives. These narratives are documented across religions although the literature is focused on Christianity. Using a repertoire of language features, converts convey an authentic religious identity to an audience. Conversion is explained and justified, creating a linear sequence that culminates in religious transformation. This chapter studies conversion narratives from followers of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness (ISKCON), a Vaiṣṇava Hindu organization. Ten narratives are selected, and the conversion motifs and membership categories evoked are identified. ISKCON followers prefer experimental and intellectual motifs. Individuals sample an aspect of practice or comprehend philosophy, which marks a shift from non-Vaiṣṇava to Vaiṣṇava (devotee of Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu). Their Vaiṣṇava identity is complemented by education and family. Multiple agents facilitate the religious transformation, notably preachers, gurus and God. Language is crucial in representing conversion and other discursive approaches may reveal different characteristics of conversion narratives. Moreover, future research can conduct intra/inter-religious comparison, study languages besides English, analyze multimodal features, engage the sociodemographic variables of converts, involve the audience, explore secular domains, and elucidate the wider social context of conversion.
