Transitions from the Evangelical Lutheran to the Orthodox Church in Finland

Abstract

Abstract Since the turn of the millennium, the Orthodox Church of Finland has welcomed up to 1,000 new members annually, excluding infant baptisms. This is over 1.5 percent of the church’s current total membership. In this study, I investigate Finnish cultural workers’ transitions to Orthodox Christianity, based on interviews of twenty-nine people. As a theoretical framework, I use Henri Gooren’s conversion career approach. My interlocutors’ narratives demonstrate how the appeal of Orthodoxy is constructed vis-à-vis the Lutheran-dominated religious and cultural landscape. Another key finding is the overlapping influence of life crises, social networks, and character traits on processes of individual religious change.