The zeal of the convert is a term describing the very fervent devotion to new beliefs, which are completely different from one's old beliefs.
Usage
The term "zeal of the convert" is commonly used in popular culture as it is believed that converts to new beliefs are likely to show more devotions than those born in the beliefs.
Examples
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Khalid Masood
On 22 March 2017, a terrorist attack took place outside the Palace of Westminster in London, seat of the British Parliament. Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old Briton, drove a car into pedestrians on the pavement along the south side of Westminster ...
, a new convert to
Islam, killed four people outside the
Palace of Westminster in 2017.
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Richard John Neuhaus
Richard John Neuhaus (May 14, 1936–January 8, 2009) was a prominent Christian cleric (first in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, then ELCA pastor and later as a Catholic priest) and writer. Born in Canada, Neuhaus moved to the United Sta ...
, a new convert to
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in 1990, held a stronger belief in Catholic doctrine than those who had only ever been Catholic.
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Enes Kanter
Enes Kanter Freedom (; born Enes Kanter; May 20, 1992) is a professional basketball player who last played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Switzerland to Turkish parents, he was raised in Turkey and m ...
, a Swiss-Turkish basketball player, changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom upon becoming an American citizen in 2021.
Statistics
In the United Kingdom, less than 4% of
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
are converts, but 12% of domestic
jihadists
Jihadism is a neologism which is used in reference to "militant Islamic movements that are perceived as existentially threatening to the West" and "rooted in political Islam."Compare: Appearing earlier in the Pakistani and Indian media, Wes ...
are converts.
69% of converts claim that religion is vital to them, compared to 62% of non-converts.
51% of converts worship not less than once a week, compared to 44% of non-converts.
82% of converts claim an absolute belief in
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
, compared to 77% non-converts are that so sure.
See also
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Horseshoe theory
In political science and popular discourse, the horseshoe theory asserts that the extreme left and the extreme right, rather than being at opposite and opposing ends of a linear political continuum, closely resemble each other, analogous to t ...
References
{{reflist
Religious apologists