Evangelical conversion is usually a datable, emotionally charged event

Evidence

Second, because of their literal reading of the Bible, evangelicals believe in the centrality of conversion, which they derive from the third chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament. There, Nicodemus, a Jewish leader, approaches Jesus by night and asks how he can gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus replies that he must be “born again” or, in some translations, “born from above.” Conversion, for evangelicals, is generally understood as a “turning away” from sin to embrace salvation, and the “born-again” experience is very often (though not always) dramatic and accompanied by considerable emotion. It is also usually a datable experience; most evangelicals will be able to recount the time and the circumstances of their conversions. — Randall Balmer, Bad Faith, 32

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains what ‘born-again’ means as a lived, datable experience rather than abstract doctrine.
• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source
• XREF: connects to: Following religious conversions, personality can change measurably — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core: On the Role of…, 879; Emotionally charged religious content gets remembered and retold more — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 358; Evangelical identity is formed more by cultural heroes than by theology — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne: How White…, 23 (+2 more)

Related

• Following religious conversions, personality can change measurably (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Following religious conversions, personality can change measurably #expands (0.85) — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 879
• Emotionally charged religious content gets remembered and retold more #expands (0.80) — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 358
• Evangelical identity may be defined by culture-war militarism rather than doctrine #qualifies (0.80) — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne, 552
• Evangelical identity is formed more by cultural heroes than by theology #qualifies (0.75) — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne, 23
• Each religious community experience is unique and resists generalization #qualifies (0.70) — Holm Gero Hümmler, Ulrike Schiesser, Fact and Prejudice, 558