Born Again, Enlightened, Analyzed: Exploring the Many Faces of Conversion.

The human experience is marked by moments of profound transformation, junctures where the very fabric of our being seems to unravel and re-weave itself into something new. This is the essence of conversion, a journey from one state of being to another, a turning away from and a turning towards. Christianity, perhaps more than any other faith, places this experience at its heart, offering a pathway from spiritual death to life, from darkness to light. The nature of this conversion, its manifestations, and its depths have been debated and interpreted throughout history, offering a dimension of human experience that echoes, in different ways, in other spiritual and philosophical traditions like Islam and Zen Buddhism, and even in the secular realm of psychoanalysis, as explored through the lens of Lacan.

The Essence of Christian Conversion: From Death to Life

At its core, Christian conversion is a radical reorientation of the self towards God, mediated through Jesus Christ. It is not merely a change of belief, but a fundamental shift in identity, values, and purpose. The individual, once dead in sin and separated from God, is made alive through faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice. This involves:

1. Repentance: A turning away from sin, a recognition of one’s brokenness and need for redemption.
2. Faith: A turning towards Christ, placing trust in his saving grace and accepting him as Savior.
3. Transformation: A gradual process of being conformed to the image of Christ, a life marked by love, obedience, and service.

This concept is powerfully expressed in the New Testament, most notably in the words of Jesus himself: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This “born again” experience signifies a spiritual rebirth, a new life granted by God’s grace.

Historical Examples: Echoes of Transformation

The history of Christianity is replete with accounts of dramatic conversion experiences, each offering a unique window into the transformative power of faith.

• St. Paul: Perhaps the most iconic conversion in Christian history, Saul of Tarsus, a zealous persecutor of Christians, was confronted by a blinding light on the road to Damascus, leading to a radical encounter with the risen Christ. He became Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, dedicating his life to spreading the Gospel. Paul’s own words capture the essence of this transformation: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
• St. Augustine: A brilliant rhetorician and philosopher, Augustine lived a life of sensual indulgence and intellectual pride before his conversion in 386 AD. Torn by internal conflict and the persistent prayers of his mother, Monica, Augustine heard a child’s voice chanting “Tolle, lege” (“Take up and read”). He opened the Bible to Romans 13:13-14, which exhorted him to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” This triggered a profound conversion that led him to abandon his former life and become one of the most influential theologians in Christian history. In his Confessions, Augustine famously wrote, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
• Martin Luther: A devout Augustinian monk, Luther was tormented by a sense of his own sinfulness and inability to earn God’s favor through good works. Through intense study of the Scriptures, particularly Romans 1:17, he came to understand the concept of justification by faith alone. This realization, which sparked the Protestant Reformation, was a personal liberation for Luther. He described it as being “born again” and entering “the open gates of paradise.”

Comparing Conversion: Christianity, Islam, and Zen

While the specific theological frameworks differ, the experience of conversion or transformation resonates across religious traditions.

• Islam: In Islam, the process of “submission” to Allah involves recognizing the oneness of God (Tawhid) and accepting Muhammad as his final prophet. Conversion, known as “Shahada,” is marked by the declaration of faith: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” While there isn’t a direct equivalent to the Christian concept of being “born again,” Islam emphasizes a transformation of the heart and a commitment to living in accordance with Allah’s will, as outlined in the Quran and the Sunnah. There is also the concept of “tawba” (repentance), which involves turning away from sin and seeking God’s forgiveness.
• Zen Buddhism: Zen enlightenment, or “satori,” is a sudden awakening to the true nature of reality, the realization of one’s inherent Buddha-nature. It is not a conversion in the traditional sense of adopting a new belief system, but rather a direct, experiential understanding of the emptiness (sunyata) of all phenomena and the interconnectedness of all things. This awakening can occur through various practices, such as meditation (zazen) or the contemplation of koans (paradoxical riddles). While not a conversion to something in particular, satori could be seen as a conversion away from the delusion of a separate self and towards a realization of interconnectedness and the Buddha-nature.

Thomas Merton and the Dialogue Between Traditions

Thomas Merton, a 20th-century Trappist monk, was a pioneer in interreligious dialogue, particularly with Zen Buddhism. In his book “Mystics and Zen Masters,” Merton explored the common ground between Christian mysticism and Zen, arguing that both traditions point towards a profound experience of unity beyond words and concepts. He saw parallels between the Christian concept of “divine union” and the Zen experience of “satori,” suggesting that both involve a transcendence of the ego and a realization of the true self in God or the ultimate reality. Merton believed that Christians and Zen Buddhists could learn from each other’s experiences and deepen their own understanding of the spiritual life, though he also acknowledged the important differences between the two traditions.

Lacan and Psychoanalysis: A Secular Conversion?

The French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan offered a unique perspective on the nature of the self and the transformative potential of the psychoanalytic process. While not explicitly religious, Lacan’s ideas can be interpreted as offering a secular model of conversion, a radical restructuring of the subject’s relationship to language, desire, and the Other.

Lacan argued that the self is not a unified entity but a product of the symbolic order, the realm of language and social structures. The subject is constituted through its entry into language, which creates a sense of lack and fundamental alienation. The psychoanalytic process, for Lacan, involves a traversal of the fantasy, a confrontation with the unconscious, and a re-negotiation of the subject’s relationship to the Other. This can lead to a profound shift in the subject’s sense of self, a “subjective destitution,” where the illusory coherence of the ego is dissolved, allowing for a new way of being in the world.

In this sense, the psychoanalytic experience can be seen as a form of conversion, a turning away from the illusory self constructed by language and the basic fantasy that everyone carries, and a turning towards a more authentic, though perhaps more unsettling, relationship with the Real, the realm beyond language and representation. It is a journey of self-discovery and transformation that parallels, in some ways, the spiritual journeys described in religious traditions.

Does it continue?

The concept of conversion, whether religious or secular, speaks to the human capacity for radical change and transformation. While the specific pathways and destinations may differ, the underlying theme of a journey from one state of being to another, from darkness to light, from fragmentation to wholeness, from delusion to the real, resonates across cultures and traditions. Whether through a dramatic encounter with the divine, a gradual awakening to the true nature of reality, or a painful but liberating confrontation with the unconscious, the human spirit is capable of profound shifts that reshape our lives and our understanding of the world. The essence of conversion, then, is not merely a change of belief, but a fundamental reorientation of the self, a turning away from what we once were and a turning towards a new horizon of possibility. It is a journey that never truly ends, a constant process of becoming. There are many ways to get there, but the crucial point is always: It is an experience, not an insight. You have to change your life.