Abstract
In this paper we seek to show and classify the different testimonies of life offered by converted evangelical believers. In the city of Montevideo, taking the theoretical-methodological approach of lived religion, we interviewed eleven people who at some point in their lives became evangelical and who shared with us these stories of deconversion and conversion, generally crossed by points of inflection, changes of life and the “before and after” of Christianity. The investigation also sought to grasp the potential of the act of giving testimony of this change of life not only as a tool to attract possible converts but also as a means to strengthen the new religious identities (at both personal and group levels) in their daily lives. Findings suggest, on the one hand, two main reasons pointed in the narratives of the subjects, for the conversion or reconnection, as well as other elements highlighted for being part of the process of strengthening the link with their Church and their new religious identities. On the other hand, the act of witnessing is found to serve effectively as a positive resource of validation for believers.
Keywords:
evangelicals; conversion; testimony; lived religion; Uruguay