The Dramatic Journey of Faith: Orthodox Religious Conversion in America

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The Dramatic Journey of Faith: Orthodox Religious Conversion in America by Fr. Vasileios Thermos explores the psychological, developmental, and spiritual dimensions of conversion, highlighting its transformative and ongoing nature.

Fr. Vasileios Thermos examines how conversion impacts both individual identity and the collective soul of the Church while addressing the role of pastoral care in this process. The book challenges readers to view conversion as a profound reorientation of the soul rooted in struggle and grace. It offers insights into the enduring influence of the Christian faith on personal and communal renewal.

The Dramatic Journey of Faith: Orthodox Religious Conversion in America is a significant and timely contribution, as the Church welcomes an unprecedented influx of converts for which we are ill-prepared. Grounded in Christ and His Church, Fr. Vasileios masterfully juxtaposes an in-depth review of the literature on religious conversion, findings from a survey of 41American converts, and excerpts from his in-depth interviews with 109 converts in the western U.S. in the summer of 2023 (totally 150). Throughout the book, the reader is treated to a sprinkling of the enormity of the pastoral responsibility of shepherding catechumens and the broader pastoral implications of converts for the life of the Orthodox Church in America.
This book is an invaluable resource for clergy and others tasked with shepherding catechumens, as it helps the reader to understand the heart and mind of the potential convert, while at the same confirming that "one size does not fit all." Upon completion of the book, the reader is better equipped to understand and minister to the potential convert.
- Kerry Pappas, MA, MA, LMFT

Once again, Fr. Vasileios Thermos has contributed substantially to how we live our faith. In his in-depth but practical analysis of the dynamic of religious conversion, he outlines how critical it is to understand the subjective life of the individual leading up to their conversion and how pivotal our knowledge and response to this process can be. Well-grounded in the processes of Orthodox theology, the psychology of religion, and important psychological and sociological variables, Fr. Thermos collects data on the experiences, expectations, and reactions of converts to the Orthodox church in America. It quickly becomes clear that the “varieties of religious experience” are immense. It is well-researched in its subject, providing both probing self-report data of its population and categorizing the findings into extensive, meaningful, and practical means for clergy and parishioners alike. Fr. Thermos beautifully reports his findings within the framework of Church history and its eschata, providing valuable insights into the church’s mission providing pastoral guidance, with an emphasis on the all-important process of repentance, which he wisely concludes, how conversion is, after all, a lifetime work—one is always repenting, it is not just a matter of finding the correct theology and religious stance—both of which can end up being defensive. Overall, this work offers many observations and elements of wisdom, including how clergy can assist the clergy in practicing their faith more meaningfully by understanding some of the basics of human personality. A resource to all—hierarchs, clergy, spiritual fathers, and parishioners, we learn that the life of the church and its trajectory depends significantly on how we rise to respond to each individual that makes up the Body of Christ.
- Steven-John M. Harris

FOREWORD
by Bishop Maxim Vasiljevic

In the annals of history, few phenomena carry the transformative power and drama as that of religious conversion. This book, “The Dramatic Journey of Faith: Orthodox Religious Conversion in America,” invites you to explore the profound and often tumultuous journey of conversion, a journey that reshapes the very core of one’s being.
From the grand historical sweep of the conversion of Graeco-Roman citizens to Christianity, to the deeply personal and contemporary stories of persons embracing Orthodox Christianity in America today, this book provides a rich canvas of insights into the conversion experience. It is a journey marked by sifting and shifting, turmoil and grace, personal struggle, and communal impact. A true conversion emerges not simply through theological persuasion, but through fellowship—through being, working, reflecting, suffering, and witnessing together, and above all, by sharing a common vision of what the Church is.

This book’s exploration goes beyond mere accounts of change in belief. It delves into the psychological and developmental processes that underpin conversion, the pastoral care necessary to guide souls through their spiritual transformations, and the continuous, active nature of conversion that defies a conclusive epilogue. It raises essential questions about the impact of conversion on the identity of the Church and the collective soul of the community. Fr. Vasileios demonstrates that the conversion of a human individual into a true person, living in the image of the Holy Trinity, cannot ignore psychological, natural scientific, or sociological concerns.

In an age where personal identity and spiritual fulfillment are in constant negotiation, this book offers a compelling examination of how conversion can serve as a powerful agent of change. It challenges us to consider conversion not just as a change of faith, but as a profound and dramatic reorientation of the soul, laden with struggle, grace, and ultimate transformation. Fr. Vasileios Thermos provides a call to readers to embark on a journey of understanding the depths of religious conversion, to witness the struggles and triumphs, and to appreciate the enduring power of Christian faith in reshaping lives and communities.

Rev. Vasileios Thermos, M.D., Ph.D., was born in 1957 at Lefkada, Greece. He studied at the Medical School of Athens University and after he graduated he studied at the Theological School of the same University. He was specialized in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry which he practiced until recently in Athens; he retired in 2024. In 1986 and 1987 he was ordained and served at the diocese of Viotia. He has been engaged into training programs for clergy in Greece, Cyprus, USA. In 1996–97 he was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Divinity School; he took classes also in Harvard School of Arts and Humanities, Boston College, Boston University, Andover Newton Theological School. In 1997 he received his PhD in Pastoral Psychology from the Theological School of Athens University. In 2014 he worked for 3 months as a Visiting Research Scholar at the Institute of Medical Humanities of the Medical School of Texas University on a project about homosexuality and contemporary gender theories. He has also conducted a research on clergy health and burnout. He has written numerous books and articles in Greek; some of them have been translated into English, French, Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Spanish, Italian, German, Finnish. He is the editor of a journal in Greek (Psyches dromoi: Ways of the Soul), published every 6 months, on the relationships between theology/religion and psychiatry/psychology (first issue in May 2011). In 2004 a master thesis on his total work appeared by Peter Kazaku at the Theological School of Balamand University, Lebanon. This thesis was updated and enriched, thus forming the book «Orthodoxy and Psychoanalysis: Dirge or Polychronion to the Centuries-old Tradition?», which was published in 2013 by Peter Lang publications in the series ‘European University Studies’, volume 938. Also in 2020 another master thesis appeared in the School of Theology of the University of Vienna, by Gabriella Moutsatsos: Ansätze der Οrthodoxen Pastoralpsychologie der Gegenwart: Simeon Kragiopoulos und Vasileios Thermos. During 2001-2013 he was a Visiting Professor of Pastoral Psychology and Psychology of Religion in the Theological Academy of the Orthodox Church of Albania. From 2013 until 2024 he taught Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Psychology in the University Ecclesiastical Academy of Athens; he is now retired. In 2017–18 his essay The Paradox of Mental Health Care and Spirituality: The Culture of Extreme Individualism as a Mediator was awarded the prize on the “Culture, Care, and Spirituality” contest by the Jean-Marc Fischer Foundation in Switzerland. He has been a member of scientific committees organizing conferences on the relationship between theology and psychiatry/psychology. He has also given thousands of lectures to seminars, parents groups, clergy assemblies, camps, high schools, radio and TV etc. His areas of interest are: Relationship between psychological sciences and religion; Psychology of religious beliefs and experiences; Dialogue between psychoanalysis and religion; Psychology of clergy and of the ecclesiastical organization; Psychology of culture; Religious development of child and adolescent; Language, psychology, and religion; Post-modernity and religion; Homosexuality and gender identity.