Epistemic and Non-Epistemic Factors in Religious Conversion from Christianity to Islam: A Qualitative Study Based on Converts’ Narratives

Conversion from Christianity to Islam is a multilayered, gradual process shaped by the interaction of epistemic and non-epistemic factors. Using a qualitative design with narrative inquiry, this study analyzes semi-structured interviews with a diverse cohort of converts. Interpreting the data through Rambo’s stage model and the Lofland–Stark process model shows that epistemic crises and rational scrutiny of Christian doctrines—together with comparative study and philosophical and theological conviction—typically initiate the trajectory of change. In contrast, affective bonds, spiritual experiences, and social support play decisive roles in sustaining practice and consolidating a new Islamic identity. The findings indicate that no single component suffices: it is the continuing interplay of rationality and emotion, text and community, that drives conversion forward. Accordingly, the study argues for an interdisciplinary approach that centers lived narratives, integrates thematic and narrative analyses, and attends to personal, social, and cultural contexts when investigating religious transformation, across diverse contemporary contexts.

Keywords:

Conversion , Epistemic Factors , Non-epistemic factors , Narrative Studies , Islam , Christianity