Conversion vs. Initiation

Abstract

Abstract This article presents four lenses for exploring Christian conversion and applies those lenses to three key Catholic initiation practices. The four lenses are Scripture, peak experiences, autonomy and surrender, and metanoia and epistrophe, while the three initiation practices are confirmation, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), and infant baptism. The author argues that there is a wide gap between doctrine and experience in these practices, particularly in reference to the Holy Spirit, and that this gap can be bridged by examining the initial Christian experience, a term introduced by Heribert Mühlen. Moreover, the author builds on the thought of Gordon Smith by making a sharp distinction between conversion and initiation. As a whole, this article advocates for an increased awareness of the Holy Spirit in Catholicism and for new experiential reflection upon the Catholic initiation process.