Books
Somali Christians constitute one of the world’s most persecuted religious minorities, yet their experiences have received remarkably little scholarly attention. This book offers the first in-depth examination of conversion from Islam to Christianity among Somalis and presents the first empirically grounded theory explaining how individuals in the Global North navigate this transition and eventually disclose their new faith to Muslim relatives and communities.
Focusing on Somali converts living in the United Kingdom and Sweden – the two European countries with the largest Somali immigrant populations – the study sheds light on the complex and often precarious process by which individuals move from initial doubts to open commitment. It not only traces the stages of this journey but also highlights the moral dilemmas, intellectual challenges, social dynamics, and practical decisions that shape a convert’s path. By exploring both internal struggles and external pressures, this book provides a rare and nuanced account of what it means to leave Islam for Christianity.
This volume will be of interest to scholars of religion and migration, leaders in Muslim communities, Christian workers ministering among Somali and other Muslim-background populations, as well as policymakers and human rights professionals. How Somali Muslims Become Christians in Europe invites deeper reflection on the lived experience of religious freedom in contemporary societies.
How Somali Muslims Become Christians in Europe provides invaluable insights into a little-known topic: the lives of Somalis who become Christian. Based on searingly personal interviews with Somali Christian converts, Bódi’s research explores why some Somali men and women convert to Christianity, despite the danger to their lives and reputation. By analysing his interviews with Somali converts, Bódi develops a theory of conversion that can be applied to other situations in which individuals convert to a different faith, especially when they face potentially violent repercussions for doing so.
– Sabine Hyland, Professor of World Religions, University of St Andrews
The nineteenth century was the classic period of Europeans travelling from the West to the Rest, as the age of empire and Christian missions reached its zenith. Conversely, the twenty-first century has seen increasing numbers of the Rest travelling to the West, often fuelled by war and economic and political instability. Dr Mátyás Bódi’s fine book explores a consequence of this countermovement, outlining the reasons Somali Muslims become Christians in Europe. Based on qualitative research and first-hand accounts from research subjects, this book is a must-read for anyone wanting to better understand issues of interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural engagement from an interpersonal perspective. Dr Mátyás Bódi has gifted us an immensely important and significant study that will command interest and become a source of authority in the years to come.
– Anthony G. Reddie, Professor of Black Theology, University of Oxford
Dr Mátyás Bódi has authored a seminal work that significantly enhances scholarly understanding of the largely overlooked Somali church. This publication represents one of the most comprehensive academic contributions I have encountered concerning this subject and is poised to serve as a foundational resource for future research on the Somali church.
– The Revd Dr Aweis A. Ali, General Secretary, Somali Bible Society
Dr Mátyás Bódi has applied grounded theory methodology with rigour, carrying out research conversations with care and empathy, and analysing the data with sensitivity and compassion. The result is an elegant explanation of how individuals may recalibrate their religious perspectives as they respond to new insights and experience the interplay of incentives to and deterrents from converting.
– Helen Scott, Fellow, The Grounded Theory Institute; Founder, Grounded Theory Online
Bódi’s book offers an empirically informed study of narratives of Muslims of Somali background living in the UK and Sweden who have adopted Christianity. Importantly, this includes discussion of the processes and issues involved in disclosing this change to their families. For these reasons alone, the book makes an innovative contribution to scholarship. Additionally, while identifying and appropriately discussing how far existing theories of conversion apply to his primary research data, the author is courageous enough to develop a theoretical framework of his own for further critical examination by others.
– Paul Weller, Research Fellow in Religion and Society, Regent’s Park College; Associate Member, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford
Lived Experiences of Religious Freedom presents the results of a wide-ranging study on how religious and non-religious belief organisations in the United Kingdom address the challenges they face in relation to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).
Drawing on interviews with representatives of belief organisations and public engagement bodies, the book offers an empirically grounded theory that explains how these organisations engage with and seek to influence the legal and societal frameworks that shape the lived experience of FoRB.
Positioned at the intersection of sociology, law, and human rights scholarship, the study identifies the shared concerns of belief organisations and examines how they navigate the gap between legal provisions and everyday realities. Alongside its theoretical contribution, the book presents participants’ accounts of the challenges they encounter, together with their suggestions for policymakers.
Lived Experiences of Religious Freedom will be of particular interest to scholars of religion, law, and human rights, as well as to public authorities and legislators, advocates, and representatives of belief organisations interested in evidence-based perspectives on how FoRB is lived and negotiated in contemporary Britain.
The UK is arguably one of the least oppressive countries so far as human rights are concerned, but that does not mean everything is perfect. Mátyás Bódi has revealed how 30 assorted organisations experience diverse instances of prejudice, discrimination and/or inadvertent impediments to the free exercise of their religion and/or belief – frequently for cultural rather than legal reasons. But Dr Bódi does not stop here. He offers a theoretical framework that can lead to a range of practical suggestions about how areas of concern might be addressed. This is a uniquely illuminating, informative, insightful and well-written book. It should be read by anyone with the slightest interest in the theory and/or operation of freedom of religion and belief in contemporary society.
– Eileen Barker OBE FBA, Professor Emerita, London School of Economics
This book offers vivid examples of the challenges to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in the UK and from these accounts of lived experience develops a usable theory. The theory shows how organisations furthering FoRB lobby, campaign, build coalitions, and mobilise support in order to shift or maintain the status quo both legislatively and societally. This is a landmark in explaining the complexity of exercising freedoms in a plural society and a companion for those seeking to do it well.
– Helen Cameron, Director of Research, Regent’s Park College, University of Oxford
Lived Experiences of Religious Freedom draws on in depth conversations with representatives of both traditional faiths and emerging belief communities across the United Kingdom. It reveals how these diverse organisations – old, new, and unconventional – navigate the gap between legal protections and lived realities and offers a rare inside look at how belief based groups strive to defend, preserve, and practise their freedom in contemporary Britain.
– Massimo Introvigne, Founder and Managing Director, Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), Torino, Italy
About
Mátyás is Research Fellow in Freedom of Religion or Belief at Regent’s Park College, University of Oxford. He received his PhD in Divinity from the University of St Andrews, following seven years as a journalist with Hungary’s largest public-service radio broadcasting organisation. He holds MA degrees in both Theology and Communication and Media Studies. His main areas of interest include Muslim–Christian relations, religious conversion, the sociology of religion, freedom of religion or belief, and world Christianity – with a particular focus on Somalia.
He presents regularly at the annual meetings of the following societies:
-
European Academy of Religion
-
Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
-
Association for the Sociology of Religion
-
American Academy of Religion
