<\/p>
Was Constantine converted? Really, truly, deeply, irreversibly converted <\/em> ? Not just converted, but converted <\/em> converted? <\/p>\n It depends on what \u201cconversion\u201d means. Arthur Darby Nock recognized that conversion has preconditions, but describes the actual event as a \u201cchemical process\u201d that involves the \u201caddition of a catalytic agent\u201d to produce a \u201csense of perceiving truths not known before, a sense of clean and beautiful newness within and without and an ecstasy of happiness.\u201d <\/p>\n This is the kind of jolt and bolt that many look for in Constantine\u2019s life. In vain. But is that fair? Ought we look for this? <\/p>\n H.A. Drake thinks not. Drawing on Rodney Stark and other sociologists who have studied conversion, he says that \u201cit is much more typical for converts to go through a number of progressive awakenings, rather than a single, blinding change, and thus a more gradual process than the classic model assumes.\u201d Further, \u201cthere is usually a greater amount of consistency in the belief of the typical convert before and after the moment of conversion than the model would allow, or even than the converts themselves report.\u201d Study and searching precede and follow conversion, and \u201cwhat really determines whether a conversion experience takes hold or not is the process of socialization into a new community.\u201d <\/p>\n From this perspective, Constantine\u2019s late re-tellings of his early experiences are evidence of genuine conversion. As, paradoxically, is his \u201ccontinued use of non-Christian symbols and images.\u201d To conclude that Constantine\u2019s conversion is insincere because he doesn\u2019t immediately stop putting Apollo or Sol on his coins is, Drake argues, to impose \u201ca psychological model that may be overly demanding and not a good predictor of normal behavior.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Was Constantine converted? Really, truly, deeply, irreversibly converted ? Not just converted, but converted converted? It depends on what \u201cconversion\u201d means. Arthur Darby Nock recognized that conversion has preconditions, but describes the actual event as a \u201cchemical process\u201d that involves the \u201caddition of a catalytic agent\u201d to produce a \u201csense of perceiving truths not known […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history"],"yoast_head":"\n