The Reformation era was an age of religious conversion. The powerful ideas and feelings that it unleashed inspired many to move from nominal and lukewarm commitment to intense zeal. Such translations of the soul were formative experiences for self-conscious believers. The schism within Christendom also compelled people to make difficult personal decisions in the interests of their spiritual health: could they find salvation in the ecclesiastical institution to which they belonged or should they abandon it as a limb of Satan? Apostates and side-changers were widely regarded with distrust and suspicion. In search of certainty, some underwent multiple metamorphoses and serial conversions between Christian denominations, but also to other faiths entirely. These interior alterations often coincided with translations in space. Individuals with mobile identities often led mobile lives. Recording of 2025 Gifford Lectures with Professor Alexandra Walsham. Lecture Four - Conversions. This article was published on 2025-07-09
