Transitions from the Evangelical Lutheran to the Orthodox Church in Finland

What is it about?

Changes in individual religious activity and commitment are a classic topic of research in the social scientific study of religion, especially in the research field of conversion studies. While religious transformation has been an existing phenomenon at least since the dawn of organized religion, in modern individualistic and religiously pluralistic societies, projects of individual religious change and re-orientation have become more common. This study examines transitions from the Protestant Evangelical Lutheran Church (the majority denomination) to the Orthodox Church in late 20th and early 21st century Finland. During past decades, adult affiliations with the Orthodox Church of Finland have multiplied and, since the turn of the millennium, the church has welcomed up to 1000 new members annually. This is over 1.5 percent of the church’s total membership. Based on the qualitative analysis of interview material, transitions to the Orthodox Church of Finland are motivated by the overlapping influence of various factors: characteristics of the Orthodox faith and church, features of the surrounding religious and cultural landscape, interpersonal networks, and personal character traits. In addition, the study emphasizes the role of life crises and turning points as catalysts of individual religious change.

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