list of people who converted to christianity
TRANSCRIPT
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
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List of people who converted to
Christianity
This articles citation style may be unclear The references used may be madeclearer with a different or consistent style of citation footnoting or external
linking (September 2009)
Converts to Christianity
C S Lewis bull M Fuchida bull C Soong bull B Jindal bull M Oufkir A Gbaja-Biamila bull G
K Skanderbeg bull E N Kusturica bull C S Menem bull Chamillionaire R A Yousef bull G
Jellinek bull The Apostle Paul bull B Dylan bull T Y Boni F P B Bok bull Pocahontas bull H
W H Pokai bull L Eiriacuteksson bull C F V A C Augustus
Total population
2501396 every year according to the World Christian
Encyclopedia[1]
Another estimate says in Africa every year 6 million
people convert to Christianity[2]
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The following is a list of notable people who converted to Christianity from a differentreligion or no religion This article addresses only past voluntary professions of faith by
the individuals listed and is not intended to address ethnic cultural or other
considerations such as Marriage Certain people listed here may be lapsed or formerconverts or their current religious identity may be ambiguous uncertain or disputed
Such cases are noted in their list entries
Contents
1 From Abrahamic religions
o 11 From Islam
o 12 From Judaism
o 13 From Rastafari movement
2 From Dharmic religions
o 21 From Buddhism
o 22 From Hinduism
o 23 From Sikhism 3 Other
o 31 From agnosticism or atheism
o 32 From Cao Dai
o 33 From Confucianism
o 34 From Paganism
o 35 From Manichaeism
o 36 From Satanism
o 37 From Zoroastrianism
o 38 Undetermined former religion
4 See also
5 Notes and references
From Abrahamic religions
From Islam
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Abo of Tiflis a Christian activist and the Patron Saint of the city of Tbilisi Georgia[3]
Bahaa el-Din Ahmed Hussein el-Akkad - Egyptian former Muslim sheikh[4]
Nonie Darwish an Egyptian American writer and public speaker[5]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila is an American football player[6]
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Mohammed Hegazy were First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek officialrecognition of his conversion from the Egyptian Government[7]
Italian journalist Magdi Allam converted to Roman Catholicism during the Vaticans2008 Easter vigil service presided over by Pope Benedict XVI[8]
Born into a Muslim Batak family Indonesian Prime Minister Amir Sjarifuddin
converted to Christianity in 1931 upon which his fervently Islamic mother committed
suicide[9]
A
Aslan Abashidze - leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in westernGeorgia Abashidze was born into a renowned Muslim Ajarian family a branch of
the Abashidze princely house
Mohammed Sheikh Abdiraman - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shotby al Shabaab members[10]
Ibrahim Abdullah - American former PLO terrorist[11]
Abo of Tiflis - Christian activist and the Patron Saint of the city of Tbilisi
Georgia[3]
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Abraham of Bulgaria - Martyr and saint of the Russian Orthodox Church[12]
St Adolphus - Christian martyr who was put to death along with his brother
John by Abd ar-Rahman II Caliph of Coacuterdoba for apostasy[13]
Mehmet Ali Ağca - Turkish born who attempt to murder Pope John Paul II in1981 He beacme a Catholic during his time in prison
Al-Mueiyyad - Abbasid prince and third son of Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil He was converted to Christianity along with his three confidants by St Theodore
of Edessa accepting the name John upon baptism[14][15]
Jabalah ibn al-Aiham - last ruler of the Ghassanid state in Syria and Jordan in the
seventh century AD After the Islamic conquest of Levant he converted to Islam
in AD 638 He reverted to Christianity later on and lived in Anatolia until he diedin AD 645[16]
Daniel Ali- Iraqi Kurdish Christian author speaker and Islamic scholar
evangelizes in Catholic Protestant and Messianic Jewish circles[17][18]
Ibrahim Ben Ali - a soldier physician and one of the earliest American settlers of
Turkish origin
Amina Muse Ali - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab members
[10]
Mohammed Ahmed Ali - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered by
al Shabaab members[19]
Magdi Allam (baptized as Magdi Cristiano Allam) - Italys most famous Islamicaffairs journalist[8]
Zachariah Anani - Former Sunni Muslim Lebanese militia fighter [20]
Hussain Andaryas - Afghan Christian activist and tele-evangelist[21]
Matthew Ashimolowo - Nigerian-born British pastor and evangelist[22]
Aurelius and Natalia - Christian martyrs who were put to death during the reign of
Abd ar-Rahman II Caliph of Coacuterdoba for apostasy[23]
Maria Aurora of Spiegel - born as Fatima mistress of Augustus II of Saxony
Johannes Avetaranian - (born Muhammad Shukri Efendi) Christian missionary
and Turkish descendent of Prophet Muhammad[24]
B
Josephine Bakhita - Roman Catholic saint from Darfur Sudan[25]
Sarah Balabagan - a Filipina prisoner in the United Arab Emirates during 1994 -
96 whose case caused a good deal of controversy
Fathima Rifqa Bary - a young woman of Sri Lankan descent who drewinternational attention in 2009 when at age 16 she ran away from her Ohio home
saying that her Muslim parents are going to kill her for becoming a Christian
Sheikh Ahmed Barzani - Head of Barzani Tribe in Iraqi Kurdistan and olderbrother of Mustafa Barzani Kurdish nationalist leader He announced his
conversion to Christianity in 1931 during the anti-government uprising[26]
Simeon Bekbulatovich - Khan of Qasim Khanate[27]
Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky - Russian officer of Circassian origin who led
the first Russian military expedition into Central Asia[28]
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Francis Bok - Sudanese-American activist convert to Islam from Christianity butlater returned to his Christian faith[29]
Jean-Beacutedel Bokassa - Central African Republic Emperor (from Christianity to
Islam back to Christianity)[30]
DrThomas Yayi Boni - President of Benin[31]
Sayed Borhan khan - Khan of Qasim Khanate from 1627 to 1679
[27]
C
Casilda of Toledo - venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church According to her
legend St Casilda a daughter of a Muslim king of Toledo (called Almacrin orAlmamun) showed special kindness to Christian prisoners by carrying bread
hidden in her clothes to feed them
George XI of Kartli - ruled Kartli eastern Georgia
Djibril Cisseacute - French soccer player of Ivorian descent[32]
Eldridge Cleaver - Author prominent American civil rights leader and key
member of the Black Panther Party He converted to Mormonism
[33][34]
Constantine the African - Baghdad-educated Muslim who died in 1087 as a
Christian monk at Monte Cassino[35][36]
D
Nonie Darwish - Egyptian American writer and public speaker[5]
Sedar Dedeoglu - a Turk who claims to be a descendant of Islams prophetMuhammad has converted to Christianity while living in Germany[37]
Hassan Dehqani-Tafti - Anglican Bishop of Iran from 1961 to 1990[38]
Mehdi Dibaj - Iranian pastor and Christian activist[39]
Momolu Dukuly - politician in Liberia He left Islam and embraced Christianity before he became foreign minister [33]
E
Bahaa el-Din Ahmed Hussein el-Akkad - an Egyptian former Muslim sheikh Formore than 20 years el-Akkad was a member of the fundamentalist Islamic group
Dawa el Tabligh which actively proselytized non-Muslims but strictly opposed
violence He also led a mosque community in Al-Haram in the Giza area adjacentto Cairo In 1994 he published Islam the Religion a 500-page book reviewing
the traditional beliefs and dogmas of Islam He late became disillusioned with
Islam and began to question certain Islamic tenets A theological discourse with aChristian led him to conduct an intensive study of Christian Scripture after which
he converted to Christianity in January 2005[4]
Estevanico - Berber originally from Morocco and one of the early explorers of the
Southwestern United States[40]
Gulshan Esther - Pakistani convert from Islam to Christianity[41]
F
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Donald Fareed - Iranian Christian tele-evangelist and minister[42]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish religious leader who claimed to be the
reincarnation of the self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi and also of King
David Frank publicly converted to Islam in 1757 and later to Christianity atPoland in 1759 but actually presented himself as the Messiah of a syncretic
derivation of Shabbatai Zevis Messianism now referred to as Frankism
[43]
G
Mark A Gabriel- Egyptian Islamic scholar and writer[44]
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross- Counter-terrorism expert and attorney (from Judaismto Islam to Christianity)[45][46]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila - American football player[6][47]
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - an American football defensive end who was drafted by
the Green Bay Packers and is currently a free agent
Ruffa Gutierrez - Filipina actress model and former beauty queen (from
Christianity to Islam back to Christianity)
[48]
H
Umar ibn Hafsun - Leader of anti-Ummayad dynasty forces in southern Iberia
Hafsun converted to Christianity with his sons and ruled over several mountain
valleys for nearly forty years having the castle Bobastro as his residence[49]
Naveed Afzal Haq - Pakistani American charged for the July 2006 Seattle JewishFederation shooting He converted to Christianity in December 2005 but reverted
to Islam by the time of the shooting[50]
Mohammed Hegazy - First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek
official recognition of his conversion from the Egyptian GovernmentThreatsforce Egyptian convert to hide MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press Writer
Sat August 11[7]
Aben Humeya - (born Fernando de Valor) Morisco Chief who was crowned theEmir of Andalusia by his followers and led the Morisco Revolt against Philip II of
Spain[51]
Mariam Muhina Hussein - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered
by al Shabaab members after discovering she had six Bibles[10]
I
Tunch Ilkin - Former American football player
[52]
Qadry Ismail - Former American football player[53]
Raghib Ismail - Former American football player[54]
J
Ubayd-Allah ibn Jahsh - Brother of Zaynab bint Jahsh the wife of Prophet
Muhammad and one of the male Sahaba (companions of the Prophet)[55]
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Esther John - a Pakistani Christian nurse[56]
She is counted in ten most famousChristian martyrs of the present day
Lina Joy - Malaysian convert to Christianity The desire to have her conversion
recognized was the subject of a court case in Malaysia[57]
Don Juan of Persia - a late 16th and early 17th century figure in Iran and Spain
He settled in Spain where he became a Roman Catholic
K
Tuğccedile Kazaz - Turkish model who was Miss Turkey in 2001[58]
Alexander Kazembek - Russian Orientalist historian and philologist of Azeri origin [59]
Mathieu Keacutereacutekou- President of Benin (from Christianity to Islam back toChristianity)[60]
Omar Khalafe - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab
members[10]
Kitty Kirkpatrick - born in India and brought up as Shia Muslim
Emir Kusturica - Bosnian born filmmaker and actor[61][62]
L
Imad ud-din Lahiz - Prolific Islamic writer preacher and Quranic translator[63]
Fernatildeo Lopez - first known permanent inhabitant of the remote Island of Saint
Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean
Dr Nur Luke - Uyghur Bible translator[64]
M
Fadhma Aiumlt Mansour - Mother of French writers Jean Amrouche and Taos
Amrouche[65]
Majeed Rashid Mohammed - a Kurdish Christian convert from Islam Heestablished a network with former Kurdish Muslims with about 2000 members
today[66]
Sake Dean Mahomed - an Indian traveller surgeon and entrepreneur who
introduced the Indian take-away curry house restaurant in Britain and was the
first Indian to have written a book in the English language
Josef Maumlssrur - (born Ghaumlsim Khan) missionary to Chinese Turkestan with the
Mission Union of Sweden[67]
Ahmed Matan a Somali convert to Christianity who was shot by al Shabaab members[10]
Carlos Menem - Former President of Argentina Raised a Muslim but converted
to Roman Catholicism a constitutional requirement for accessing the presidency
until 1994[68]
Yadegar Mokhammad of Kazan - was the last khan of Kazan Khanate (1552)
Yadegar Moxammat of Kazan - Last khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
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Muhsin Muhammad current American football player for the Carolina Panthers raised in a Muslim household later converted to Christianity[69]
Paul Mulla - Turkish scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute[70]
N
Marina Nemat - Canadian author of Iranian descent and former political prisonerof the Iranian government Born into a Christian family she converted to Islam in
order to avoid execution but later reverted to Christianity[71]
Nunilo and Alodia - a pair of child martyrs from Huesca Born of a mixedmarriage they eschewed the Islam of their father in favour of their mothers
Christianity
O
Malika Oufkir - Moroccan writer daughter of General Mohamed Oufkir andformer prisoner of King Hassan II of Morocco
P
Shams Pahlavi - Iranian princess and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Shah of Iran[72]
Hamid Pourmand - Former Iranian army colonel and lay leader of the Jamaat-e
Rabbani the Iranian branch of the Assemblies of God church in Iran[73]
R
Abdul Rahman - Afghan convert to Christianity who escaped the death penalty
because of foreign pressure[74]
Stefan Razvan - Gypsy prince who ruled Moldavia for six months in 1595[75]
Emily Ruete - (born Sayyida Salme) Princess of Zanzibar and Oman[76][77][78]
Ibrahim Rugova - an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo
and of its leading political party the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)
S
Nazli Sabri - Queen consort of Egypt[79][80]
Begum Samru - Powerful lady of north India ruling a large area from Sardhana Uttar Pradesh
[81]
James Scurry - a British soldier and statesman
Mohamed Aliacute Seineldiacuten - a former Argentine army colonel who participated in
two failed coup attempts against the democratically elected governments of bothPresident Raul Alfonsin and President Carlos Menem in 1988 and 1990[82]
Hakeem Seriki (AKA Chamillionaire) - American rapper[83][84]
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The Sibirsky family - The foremost of many Genghisid (Shaybanid) noblefamilies formerly living in Russia[85]
The Shihab family - prominent Lebanese noble family who originally belonged to
Sunni Islam and converted to Christianity at the end of the 18th century[86]
Walid Shoebat - American author and former member of the PLO[87]
Nasir Siddiki - Canadian evangelist author and business consultant
[88]
Amir Sjarifuddin - Indonesian socialist leader who later became the prime
minister of Indonesia during its National Revolution[9]
Skanderbeg - Albanian military leader Skanderbeg converted to Islam from
Christianity but reverted back to Christianity later in life[89]
Rudolf Carl von Slatin - Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in theSudan[90]
Hossein Soodmand - executed for apostasy Although born a Muslim by 1989
Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years
Patrick Sookhdeo - British Anglican canon[91]
T
Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal - Two Turkish Christian converts who went on
trial in 2006 on charges of allegedly insulting Turkishness and incitingreligious hatred against Islam[92]
Maria Temrjukovna - a Circassian princess and second wife to Ivan IV of Russia
who was born in a Muslim upbringing and baptised into the Russian OrthodoxChurch on August 21 1561[93]
Ghorban Tourani - Former Iranian Sunni Muslim who became a Christian
minister Following multiple murder threats he was abducted and murdered on
November 22 2005[94]
U
Utameshgaray of Kazan - Khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
W
George Weah - Liberian soccer player (from Christianity to Islam back to
Christianity)[95]
George Weah Jr - Liberian American footballer who plays for FC Wohlen[96]
Y
Mosab Hassan Yousef - son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity after
moving to the United States[97]
Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf - a Somali convert to Christianity[10]
Ramzi Yousef - Al Qaeda member and the main participant in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing and The Bojinka plot[98][99]
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
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From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
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Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
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Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
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Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
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The following is a list of notable people who converted to Christianity from a differentreligion or no religion This article addresses only past voluntary professions of faith by
the individuals listed and is not intended to address ethnic cultural or other
considerations such as Marriage Certain people listed here may be lapsed or formerconverts or their current religious identity may be ambiguous uncertain or disputed
Such cases are noted in their list entries
Contents
1 From Abrahamic religions
o 11 From Islam
o 12 From Judaism
o 13 From Rastafari movement
2 From Dharmic religions
o 21 From Buddhism
o 22 From Hinduism
o 23 From Sikhism 3 Other
o 31 From agnosticism or atheism
o 32 From Cao Dai
o 33 From Confucianism
o 34 From Paganism
o 35 From Manichaeism
o 36 From Satanism
o 37 From Zoroastrianism
o 38 Undetermined former religion
4 See also
5 Notes and references
From Abrahamic religions
From Islam
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Abo of Tiflis a Christian activist and the Patron Saint of the city of Tbilisi Georgia[3]
Bahaa el-Din Ahmed Hussein el-Akkad - Egyptian former Muslim sheikh[4]
Nonie Darwish an Egyptian American writer and public speaker[5]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila is an American football player[6]
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Mohammed Hegazy were First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek officialrecognition of his conversion from the Egyptian Government[7]
Italian journalist Magdi Allam converted to Roman Catholicism during the Vaticans2008 Easter vigil service presided over by Pope Benedict XVI[8]
Born into a Muslim Batak family Indonesian Prime Minister Amir Sjarifuddin
converted to Christianity in 1931 upon which his fervently Islamic mother committed
suicide[9]
A
Aslan Abashidze - leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in westernGeorgia Abashidze was born into a renowned Muslim Ajarian family a branch of
the Abashidze princely house
Mohammed Sheikh Abdiraman - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shotby al Shabaab members[10]
Ibrahim Abdullah - American former PLO terrorist[11]
Abo of Tiflis - Christian activist and the Patron Saint of the city of Tbilisi
Georgia[3]
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Abraham of Bulgaria - Martyr and saint of the Russian Orthodox Church[12]
St Adolphus - Christian martyr who was put to death along with his brother
John by Abd ar-Rahman II Caliph of Coacuterdoba for apostasy[13]
Mehmet Ali Ağca - Turkish born who attempt to murder Pope John Paul II in1981 He beacme a Catholic during his time in prison
Al-Mueiyyad - Abbasid prince and third son of Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil He was converted to Christianity along with his three confidants by St Theodore
of Edessa accepting the name John upon baptism[14][15]
Jabalah ibn al-Aiham - last ruler of the Ghassanid state in Syria and Jordan in the
seventh century AD After the Islamic conquest of Levant he converted to Islam
in AD 638 He reverted to Christianity later on and lived in Anatolia until he diedin AD 645[16]
Daniel Ali- Iraqi Kurdish Christian author speaker and Islamic scholar
evangelizes in Catholic Protestant and Messianic Jewish circles[17][18]
Ibrahim Ben Ali - a soldier physician and one of the earliest American settlers of
Turkish origin
Amina Muse Ali - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab members
[10]
Mohammed Ahmed Ali - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered by
al Shabaab members[19]
Magdi Allam (baptized as Magdi Cristiano Allam) - Italys most famous Islamicaffairs journalist[8]
Zachariah Anani - Former Sunni Muslim Lebanese militia fighter [20]
Hussain Andaryas - Afghan Christian activist and tele-evangelist[21]
Matthew Ashimolowo - Nigerian-born British pastor and evangelist[22]
Aurelius and Natalia - Christian martyrs who were put to death during the reign of
Abd ar-Rahman II Caliph of Coacuterdoba for apostasy[23]
Maria Aurora of Spiegel - born as Fatima mistress of Augustus II of Saxony
Johannes Avetaranian - (born Muhammad Shukri Efendi) Christian missionary
and Turkish descendent of Prophet Muhammad[24]
B
Josephine Bakhita - Roman Catholic saint from Darfur Sudan[25]
Sarah Balabagan - a Filipina prisoner in the United Arab Emirates during 1994 -
96 whose case caused a good deal of controversy
Fathima Rifqa Bary - a young woman of Sri Lankan descent who drewinternational attention in 2009 when at age 16 she ran away from her Ohio home
saying that her Muslim parents are going to kill her for becoming a Christian
Sheikh Ahmed Barzani - Head of Barzani Tribe in Iraqi Kurdistan and olderbrother of Mustafa Barzani Kurdish nationalist leader He announced his
conversion to Christianity in 1931 during the anti-government uprising[26]
Simeon Bekbulatovich - Khan of Qasim Khanate[27]
Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky - Russian officer of Circassian origin who led
the first Russian military expedition into Central Asia[28]
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Francis Bok - Sudanese-American activist convert to Islam from Christianity butlater returned to his Christian faith[29]
Jean-Beacutedel Bokassa - Central African Republic Emperor (from Christianity to
Islam back to Christianity)[30]
DrThomas Yayi Boni - President of Benin[31]
Sayed Borhan khan - Khan of Qasim Khanate from 1627 to 1679
[27]
C
Casilda of Toledo - venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church According to her
legend St Casilda a daughter of a Muslim king of Toledo (called Almacrin orAlmamun) showed special kindness to Christian prisoners by carrying bread
hidden in her clothes to feed them
George XI of Kartli - ruled Kartli eastern Georgia
Djibril Cisseacute - French soccer player of Ivorian descent[32]
Eldridge Cleaver - Author prominent American civil rights leader and key
member of the Black Panther Party He converted to Mormonism
[33][34]
Constantine the African - Baghdad-educated Muslim who died in 1087 as a
Christian monk at Monte Cassino[35][36]
D
Nonie Darwish - Egyptian American writer and public speaker[5]
Sedar Dedeoglu - a Turk who claims to be a descendant of Islams prophetMuhammad has converted to Christianity while living in Germany[37]
Hassan Dehqani-Tafti - Anglican Bishop of Iran from 1961 to 1990[38]
Mehdi Dibaj - Iranian pastor and Christian activist[39]
Momolu Dukuly - politician in Liberia He left Islam and embraced Christianity before he became foreign minister [33]
E
Bahaa el-Din Ahmed Hussein el-Akkad - an Egyptian former Muslim sheikh Formore than 20 years el-Akkad was a member of the fundamentalist Islamic group
Dawa el Tabligh which actively proselytized non-Muslims but strictly opposed
violence He also led a mosque community in Al-Haram in the Giza area adjacentto Cairo In 1994 he published Islam the Religion a 500-page book reviewing
the traditional beliefs and dogmas of Islam He late became disillusioned with
Islam and began to question certain Islamic tenets A theological discourse with aChristian led him to conduct an intensive study of Christian Scripture after which
he converted to Christianity in January 2005[4]
Estevanico - Berber originally from Morocco and one of the early explorers of the
Southwestern United States[40]
Gulshan Esther - Pakistani convert from Islam to Christianity[41]
F
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Donald Fareed - Iranian Christian tele-evangelist and minister[42]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish religious leader who claimed to be the
reincarnation of the self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi and also of King
David Frank publicly converted to Islam in 1757 and later to Christianity atPoland in 1759 but actually presented himself as the Messiah of a syncretic
derivation of Shabbatai Zevis Messianism now referred to as Frankism
[43]
G
Mark A Gabriel- Egyptian Islamic scholar and writer[44]
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross- Counter-terrorism expert and attorney (from Judaismto Islam to Christianity)[45][46]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila - American football player[6][47]
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - an American football defensive end who was drafted by
the Green Bay Packers and is currently a free agent
Ruffa Gutierrez - Filipina actress model and former beauty queen (from
Christianity to Islam back to Christianity)
[48]
H
Umar ibn Hafsun - Leader of anti-Ummayad dynasty forces in southern Iberia
Hafsun converted to Christianity with his sons and ruled over several mountain
valleys for nearly forty years having the castle Bobastro as his residence[49]
Naveed Afzal Haq - Pakistani American charged for the July 2006 Seattle JewishFederation shooting He converted to Christianity in December 2005 but reverted
to Islam by the time of the shooting[50]
Mohammed Hegazy - First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek
official recognition of his conversion from the Egyptian GovernmentThreatsforce Egyptian convert to hide MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press Writer
Sat August 11[7]
Aben Humeya - (born Fernando de Valor) Morisco Chief who was crowned theEmir of Andalusia by his followers and led the Morisco Revolt against Philip II of
Spain[51]
Mariam Muhina Hussein - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered
by al Shabaab members after discovering she had six Bibles[10]
I
Tunch Ilkin - Former American football player
[52]
Qadry Ismail - Former American football player[53]
Raghib Ismail - Former American football player[54]
J
Ubayd-Allah ibn Jahsh - Brother of Zaynab bint Jahsh the wife of Prophet
Muhammad and one of the male Sahaba (companions of the Prophet)[55]
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Esther John - a Pakistani Christian nurse[56]
She is counted in ten most famousChristian martyrs of the present day
Lina Joy - Malaysian convert to Christianity The desire to have her conversion
recognized was the subject of a court case in Malaysia[57]
Don Juan of Persia - a late 16th and early 17th century figure in Iran and Spain
He settled in Spain where he became a Roman Catholic
K
Tuğccedile Kazaz - Turkish model who was Miss Turkey in 2001[58]
Alexander Kazembek - Russian Orientalist historian and philologist of Azeri origin [59]
Mathieu Keacutereacutekou- President of Benin (from Christianity to Islam back toChristianity)[60]
Omar Khalafe - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab
members[10]
Kitty Kirkpatrick - born in India and brought up as Shia Muslim
Emir Kusturica - Bosnian born filmmaker and actor[61][62]
L
Imad ud-din Lahiz - Prolific Islamic writer preacher and Quranic translator[63]
Fernatildeo Lopez - first known permanent inhabitant of the remote Island of Saint
Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean
Dr Nur Luke - Uyghur Bible translator[64]
M
Fadhma Aiumlt Mansour - Mother of French writers Jean Amrouche and Taos
Amrouche[65]
Majeed Rashid Mohammed - a Kurdish Christian convert from Islam Heestablished a network with former Kurdish Muslims with about 2000 members
today[66]
Sake Dean Mahomed - an Indian traveller surgeon and entrepreneur who
introduced the Indian take-away curry house restaurant in Britain and was the
first Indian to have written a book in the English language
Josef Maumlssrur - (born Ghaumlsim Khan) missionary to Chinese Turkestan with the
Mission Union of Sweden[67]
Ahmed Matan a Somali convert to Christianity who was shot by al Shabaab members[10]
Carlos Menem - Former President of Argentina Raised a Muslim but converted
to Roman Catholicism a constitutional requirement for accessing the presidency
until 1994[68]
Yadegar Mokhammad of Kazan - was the last khan of Kazan Khanate (1552)
Yadegar Moxammat of Kazan - Last khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
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Muhsin Muhammad current American football player for the Carolina Panthers raised in a Muslim household later converted to Christianity[69]
Paul Mulla - Turkish scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute[70]
N
Marina Nemat - Canadian author of Iranian descent and former political prisonerof the Iranian government Born into a Christian family she converted to Islam in
order to avoid execution but later reverted to Christianity[71]
Nunilo and Alodia - a pair of child martyrs from Huesca Born of a mixedmarriage they eschewed the Islam of their father in favour of their mothers
Christianity
O
Malika Oufkir - Moroccan writer daughter of General Mohamed Oufkir andformer prisoner of King Hassan II of Morocco
P
Shams Pahlavi - Iranian princess and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Shah of Iran[72]
Hamid Pourmand - Former Iranian army colonel and lay leader of the Jamaat-e
Rabbani the Iranian branch of the Assemblies of God church in Iran[73]
R
Abdul Rahman - Afghan convert to Christianity who escaped the death penalty
because of foreign pressure[74]
Stefan Razvan - Gypsy prince who ruled Moldavia for six months in 1595[75]
Emily Ruete - (born Sayyida Salme) Princess of Zanzibar and Oman[76][77][78]
Ibrahim Rugova - an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo
and of its leading political party the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)
S
Nazli Sabri - Queen consort of Egypt[79][80]
Begum Samru - Powerful lady of north India ruling a large area from Sardhana Uttar Pradesh
[81]
James Scurry - a British soldier and statesman
Mohamed Aliacute Seineldiacuten - a former Argentine army colonel who participated in
two failed coup attempts against the democratically elected governments of bothPresident Raul Alfonsin and President Carlos Menem in 1988 and 1990[82]
Hakeem Seriki (AKA Chamillionaire) - American rapper[83][84]
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The Sibirsky family - The foremost of many Genghisid (Shaybanid) noblefamilies formerly living in Russia[85]
The Shihab family - prominent Lebanese noble family who originally belonged to
Sunni Islam and converted to Christianity at the end of the 18th century[86]
Walid Shoebat - American author and former member of the PLO[87]
Nasir Siddiki - Canadian evangelist author and business consultant
[88]
Amir Sjarifuddin - Indonesian socialist leader who later became the prime
minister of Indonesia during its National Revolution[9]
Skanderbeg - Albanian military leader Skanderbeg converted to Islam from
Christianity but reverted back to Christianity later in life[89]
Rudolf Carl von Slatin - Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in theSudan[90]
Hossein Soodmand - executed for apostasy Although born a Muslim by 1989
Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years
Patrick Sookhdeo - British Anglican canon[91]
T
Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal - Two Turkish Christian converts who went on
trial in 2006 on charges of allegedly insulting Turkishness and incitingreligious hatred against Islam[92]
Maria Temrjukovna - a Circassian princess and second wife to Ivan IV of Russia
who was born in a Muslim upbringing and baptised into the Russian OrthodoxChurch on August 21 1561[93]
Ghorban Tourani - Former Iranian Sunni Muslim who became a Christian
minister Following multiple murder threats he was abducted and murdered on
November 22 2005[94]
U
Utameshgaray of Kazan - Khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
W
George Weah - Liberian soccer player (from Christianity to Islam back to
Christianity)[95]
George Weah Jr - Liberian American footballer who plays for FC Wohlen[96]
Y
Mosab Hassan Yousef - son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity after
moving to the United States[97]
Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf - a Somali convert to Christianity[10]
Ramzi Yousef - Al Qaeda member and the main participant in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing and The Bojinka plot[98][99]
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
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From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
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Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
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Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
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Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
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Abo of Tiflis a Christian activist and the Patron Saint of the city of Tbilisi Georgia[3]
Bahaa el-Din Ahmed Hussein el-Akkad - Egyptian former Muslim sheikh[4]
Nonie Darwish an Egyptian American writer and public speaker[5]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila is an American football player[6]
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Mohammed Hegazy were First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek officialrecognition of his conversion from the Egyptian Government[7]
Italian journalist Magdi Allam converted to Roman Catholicism during the Vaticans2008 Easter vigil service presided over by Pope Benedict XVI[8]
Born into a Muslim Batak family Indonesian Prime Minister Amir Sjarifuddin
converted to Christianity in 1931 upon which his fervently Islamic mother committed
suicide[9]
A
Aslan Abashidze - leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in westernGeorgia Abashidze was born into a renowned Muslim Ajarian family a branch of
the Abashidze princely house
Mohammed Sheikh Abdiraman - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shotby al Shabaab members[10]
Ibrahim Abdullah - American former PLO terrorist[11]
Abo of Tiflis - Christian activist and the Patron Saint of the city of Tbilisi
Georgia[3]
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Abraham of Bulgaria - Martyr and saint of the Russian Orthodox Church[12]
St Adolphus - Christian martyr who was put to death along with his brother
John by Abd ar-Rahman II Caliph of Coacuterdoba for apostasy[13]
Mehmet Ali Ağca - Turkish born who attempt to murder Pope John Paul II in1981 He beacme a Catholic during his time in prison
Al-Mueiyyad - Abbasid prince and third son of Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil He was converted to Christianity along with his three confidants by St Theodore
of Edessa accepting the name John upon baptism[14][15]
Jabalah ibn al-Aiham - last ruler of the Ghassanid state in Syria and Jordan in the
seventh century AD After the Islamic conquest of Levant he converted to Islam
in AD 638 He reverted to Christianity later on and lived in Anatolia until he diedin AD 645[16]
Daniel Ali- Iraqi Kurdish Christian author speaker and Islamic scholar
evangelizes in Catholic Protestant and Messianic Jewish circles[17][18]
Ibrahim Ben Ali - a soldier physician and one of the earliest American settlers of
Turkish origin
Amina Muse Ali - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab members
[10]
Mohammed Ahmed Ali - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered by
al Shabaab members[19]
Magdi Allam (baptized as Magdi Cristiano Allam) - Italys most famous Islamicaffairs journalist[8]
Zachariah Anani - Former Sunni Muslim Lebanese militia fighter [20]
Hussain Andaryas - Afghan Christian activist and tele-evangelist[21]
Matthew Ashimolowo - Nigerian-born British pastor and evangelist[22]
Aurelius and Natalia - Christian martyrs who were put to death during the reign of
Abd ar-Rahman II Caliph of Coacuterdoba for apostasy[23]
Maria Aurora of Spiegel - born as Fatima mistress of Augustus II of Saxony
Johannes Avetaranian - (born Muhammad Shukri Efendi) Christian missionary
and Turkish descendent of Prophet Muhammad[24]
B
Josephine Bakhita - Roman Catholic saint from Darfur Sudan[25]
Sarah Balabagan - a Filipina prisoner in the United Arab Emirates during 1994 -
96 whose case caused a good deal of controversy
Fathima Rifqa Bary - a young woman of Sri Lankan descent who drewinternational attention in 2009 when at age 16 she ran away from her Ohio home
saying that her Muslim parents are going to kill her for becoming a Christian
Sheikh Ahmed Barzani - Head of Barzani Tribe in Iraqi Kurdistan and olderbrother of Mustafa Barzani Kurdish nationalist leader He announced his
conversion to Christianity in 1931 during the anti-government uprising[26]
Simeon Bekbulatovich - Khan of Qasim Khanate[27]
Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky - Russian officer of Circassian origin who led
the first Russian military expedition into Central Asia[28]
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Francis Bok - Sudanese-American activist convert to Islam from Christianity butlater returned to his Christian faith[29]
Jean-Beacutedel Bokassa - Central African Republic Emperor (from Christianity to
Islam back to Christianity)[30]
DrThomas Yayi Boni - President of Benin[31]
Sayed Borhan khan - Khan of Qasim Khanate from 1627 to 1679
[27]
C
Casilda of Toledo - venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church According to her
legend St Casilda a daughter of a Muslim king of Toledo (called Almacrin orAlmamun) showed special kindness to Christian prisoners by carrying bread
hidden in her clothes to feed them
George XI of Kartli - ruled Kartli eastern Georgia
Djibril Cisseacute - French soccer player of Ivorian descent[32]
Eldridge Cleaver - Author prominent American civil rights leader and key
member of the Black Panther Party He converted to Mormonism
[33][34]
Constantine the African - Baghdad-educated Muslim who died in 1087 as a
Christian monk at Monte Cassino[35][36]
D
Nonie Darwish - Egyptian American writer and public speaker[5]
Sedar Dedeoglu - a Turk who claims to be a descendant of Islams prophetMuhammad has converted to Christianity while living in Germany[37]
Hassan Dehqani-Tafti - Anglican Bishop of Iran from 1961 to 1990[38]
Mehdi Dibaj - Iranian pastor and Christian activist[39]
Momolu Dukuly - politician in Liberia He left Islam and embraced Christianity before he became foreign minister [33]
E
Bahaa el-Din Ahmed Hussein el-Akkad - an Egyptian former Muslim sheikh Formore than 20 years el-Akkad was a member of the fundamentalist Islamic group
Dawa el Tabligh which actively proselytized non-Muslims but strictly opposed
violence He also led a mosque community in Al-Haram in the Giza area adjacentto Cairo In 1994 he published Islam the Religion a 500-page book reviewing
the traditional beliefs and dogmas of Islam He late became disillusioned with
Islam and began to question certain Islamic tenets A theological discourse with aChristian led him to conduct an intensive study of Christian Scripture after which
he converted to Christianity in January 2005[4]
Estevanico - Berber originally from Morocco and one of the early explorers of the
Southwestern United States[40]
Gulshan Esther - Pakistani convert from Islam to Christianity[41]
F
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Donald Fareed - Iranian Christian tele-evangelist and minister[42]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish religious leader who claimed to be the
reincarnation of the self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi and also of King
David Frank publicly converted to Islam in 1757 and later to Christianity atPoland in 1759 but actually presented himself as the Messiah of a syncretic
derivation of Shabbatai Zevis Messianism now referred to as Frankism
[43]
G
Mark A Gabriel- Egyptian Islamic scholar and writer[44]
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross- Counter-terrorism expert and attorney (from Judaismto Islam to Christianity)[45][46]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila - American football player[6][47]
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - an American football defensive end who was drafted by
the Green Bay Packers and is currently a free agent
Ruffa Gutierrez - Filipina actress model and former beauty queen (from
Christianity to Islam back to Christianity)
[48]
H
Umar ibn Hafsun - Leader of anti-Ummayad dynasty forces in southern Iberia
Hafsun converted to Christianity with his sons and ruled over several mountain
valleys for nearly forty years having the castle Bobastro as his residence[49]
Naveed Afzal Haq - Pakistani American charged for the July 2006 Seattle JewishFederation shooting He converted to Christianity in December 2005 but reverted
to Islam by the time of the shooting[50]
Mohammed Hegazy - First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek
official recognition of his conversion from the Egyptian GovernmentThreatsforce Egyptian convert to hide MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press Writer
Sat August 11[7]
Aben Humeya - (born Fernando de Valor) Morisco Chief who was crowned theEmir of Andalusia by his followers and led the Morisco Revolt against Philip II of
Spain[51]
Mariam Muhina Hussein - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered
by al Shabaab members after discovering she had six Bibles[10]
I
Tunch Ilkin - Former American football player
[52]
Qadry Ismail - Former American football player[53]
Raghib Ismail - Former American football player[54]
J
Ubayd-Allah ibn Jahsh - Brother of Zaynab bint Jahsh the wife of Prophet
Muhammad and one of the male Sahaba (companions of the Prophet)[55]
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Esther John - a Pakistani Christian nurse[56]
She is counted in ten most famousChristian martyrs of the present day
Lina Joy - Malaysian convert to Christianity The desire to have her conversion
recognized was the subject of a court case in Malaysia[57]
Don Juan of Persia - a late 16th and early 17th century figure in Iran and Spain
He settled in Spain where he became a Roman Catholic
K
Tuğccedile Kazaz - Turkish model who was Miss Turkey in 2001[58]
Alexander Kazembek - Russian Orientalist historian and philologist of Azeri origin [59]
Mathieu Keacutereacutekou- President of Benin (from Christianity to Islam back toChristianity)[60]
Omar Khalafe - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab
members[10]
Kitty Kirkpatrick - born in India and brought up as Shia Muslim
Emir Kusturica - Bosnian born filmmaker and actor[61][62]
L
Imad ud-din Lahiz - Prolific Islamic writer preacher and Quranic translator[63]
Fernatildeo Lopez - first known permanent inhabitant of the remote Island of Saint
Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean
Dr Nur Luke - Uyghur Bible translator[64]
M
Fadhma Aiumlt Mansour - Mother of French writers Jean Amrouche and Taos
Amrouche[65]
Majeed Rashid Mohammed - a Kurdish Christian convert from Islam Heestablished a network with former Kurdish Muslims with about 2000 members
today[66]
Sake Dean Mahomed - an Indian traveller surgeon and entrepreneur who
introduced the Indian take-away curry house restaurant in Britain and was the
first Indian to have written a book in the English language
Josef Maumlssrur - (born Ghaumlsim Khan) missionary to Chinese Turkestan with the
Mission Union of Sweden[67]
Ahmed Matan a Somali convert to Christianity who was shot by al Shabaab members[10]
Carlos Menem - Former President of Argentina Raised a Muslim but converted
to Roman Catholicism a constitutional requirement for accessing the presidency
until 1994[68]
Yadegar Mokhammad of Kazan - was the last khan of Kazan Khanate (1552)
Yadegar Moxammat of Kazan - Last khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
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Muhsin Muhammad current American football player for the Carolina Panthers raised in a Muslim household later converted to Christianity[69]
Paul Mulla - Turkish scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute[70]
N
Marina Nemat - Canadian author of Iranian descent and former political prisonerof the Iranian government Born into a Christian family she converted to Islam in
order to avoid execution but later reverted to Christianity[71]
Nunilo and Alodia - a pair of child martyrs from Huesca Born of a mixedmarriage they eschewed the Islam of their father in favour of their mothers
Christianity
O
Malika Oufkir - Moroccan writer daughter of General Mohamed Oufkir andformer prisoner of King Hassan II of Morocco
P
Shams Pahlavi - Iranian princess and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Shah of Iran[72]
Hamid Pourmand - Former Iranian army colonel and lay leader of the Jamaat-e
Rabbani the Iranian branch of the Assemblies of God church in Iran[73]
R
Abdul Rahman - Afghan convert to Christianity who escaped the death penalty
because of foreign pressure[74]
Stefan Razvan - Gypsy prince who ruled Moldavia for six months in 1595[75]
Emily Ruete - (born Sayyida Salme) Princess of Zanzibar and Oman[76][77][78]
Ibrahim Rugova - an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo
and of its leading political party the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)
S
Nazli Sabri - Queen consort of Egypt[79][80]
Begum Samru - Powerful lady of north India ruling a large area from Sardhana Uttar Pradesh
[81]
James Scurry - a British soldier and statesman
Mohamed Aliacute Seineldiacuten - a former Argentine army colonel who participated in
two failed coup attempts against the democratically elected governments of bothPresident Raul Alfonsin and President Carlos Menem in 1988 and 1990[82]
Hakeem Seriki (AKA Chamillionaire) - American rapper[83][84]
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The Sibirsky family - The foremost of many Genghisid (Shaybanid) noblefamilies formerly living in Russia[85]
The Shihab family - prominent Lebanese noble family who originally belonged to
Sunni Islam and converted to Christianity at the end of the 18th century[86]
Walid Shoebat - American author and former member of the PLO[87]
Nasir Siddiki - Canadian evangelist author and business consultant
[88]
Amir Sjarifuddin - Indonesian socialist leader who later became the prime
minister of Indonesia during its National Revolution[9]
Skanderbeg - Albanian military leader Skanderbeg converted to Islam from
Christianity but reverted back to Christianity later in life[89]
Rudolf Carl von Slatin - Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in theSudan[90]
Hossein Soodmand - executed for apostasy Although born a Muslim by 1989
Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years
Patrick Sookhdeo - British Anglican canon[91]
T
Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal - Two Turkish Christian converts who went on
trial in 2006 on charges of allegedly insulting Turkishness and incitingreligious hatred against Islam[92]
Maria Temrjukovna - a Circassian princess and second wife to Ivan IV of Russia
who was born in a Muslim upbringing and baptised into the Russian OrthodoxChurch on August 21 1561[93]
Ghorban Tourani - Former Iranian Sunni Muslim who became a Christian
minister Following multiple murder threats he was abducted and murdered on
November 22 2005[94]
U
Utameshgaray of Kazan - Khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
W
George Weah - Liberian soccer player (from Christianity to Islam back to
Christianity)[95]
George Weah Jr - Liberian American footballer who plays for FC Wohlen[96]
Y
Mosab Hassan Yousef - son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity after
moving to the United States[97]
Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf - a Somali convert to Christianity[10]
Ramzi Yousef - Al Qaeda member and the main participant in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing and The Bojinka plot[98][99]
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
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From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
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Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
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Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
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Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
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Mohammed Hegazy were First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek officialrecognition of his conversion from the Egyptian Government[7]
Italian journalist Magdi Allam converted to Roman Catholicism during the Vaticans2008 Easter vigil service presided over by Pope Benedict XVI[8]
Born into a Muslim Batak family Indonesian Prime Minister Amir Sjarifuddin
converted to Christianity in 1931 upon which his fervently Islamic mother committed
suicide[9]
A
Aslan Abashidze - leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in westernGeorgia Abashidze was born into a renowned Muslim Ajarian family a branch of
the Abashidze princely house
Mohammed Sheikh Abdiraman - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shotby al Shabaab members[10]
Ibrahim Abdullah - American former PLO terrorist[11]
Abo of Tiflis - Christian activist and the Patron Saint of the city of Tbilisi
Georgia[3]
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Abraham of Bulgaria - Martyr and saint of the Russian Orthodox Church[12]
St Adolphus - Christian martyr who was put to death along with his brother
John by Abd ar-Rahman II Caliph of Coacuterdoba for apostasy[13]
Mehmet Ali Ağca - Turkish born who attempt to murder Pope John Paul II in1981 He beacme a Catholic during his time in prison
Al-Mueiyyad - Abbasid prince and third son of Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil He was converted to Christianity along with his three confidants by St Theodore
of Edessa accepting the name John upon baptism[14][15]
Jabalah ibn al-Aiham - last ruler of the Ghassanid state in Syria and Jordan in the
seventh century AD After the Islamic conquest of Levant he converted to Islam
in AD 638 He reverted to Christianity later on and lived in Anatolia until he diedin AD 645[16]
Daniel Ali- Iraqi Kurdish Christian author speaker and Islamic scholar
evangelizes in Catholic Protestant and Messianic Jewish circles[17][18]
Ibrahim Ben Ali - a soldier physician and one of the earliest American settlers of
Turkish origin
Amina Muse Ali - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab members
[10]
Mohammed Ahmed Ali - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered by
al Shabaab members[19]
Magdi Allam (baptized as Magdi Cristiano Allam) - Italys most famous Islamicaffairs journalist[8]
Zachariah Anani - Former Sunni Muslim Lebanese militia fighter [20]
Hussain Andaryas - Afghan Christian activist and tele-evangelist[21]
Matthew Ashimolowo - Nigerian-born British pastor and evangelist[22]
Aurelius and Natalia - Christian martyrs who were put to death during the reign of
Abd ar-Rahman II Caliph of Coacuterdoba for apostasy[23]
Maria Aurora of Spiegel - born as Fatima mistress of Augustus II of Saxony
Johannes Avetaranian - (born Muhammad Shukri Efendi) Christian missionary
and Turkish descendent of Prophet Muhammad[24]
B
Josephine Bakhita - Roman Catholic saint from Darfur Sudan[25]
Sarah Balabagan - a Filipina prisoner in the United Arab Emirates during 1994 -
96 whose case caused a good deal of controversy
Fathima Rifqa Bary - a young woman of Sri Lankan descent who drewinternational attention in 2009 when at age 16 she ran away from her Ohio home
saying that her Muslim parents are going to kill her for becoming a Christian
Sheikh Ahmed Barzani - Head of Barzani Tribe in Iraqi Kurdistan and olderbrother of Mustafa Barzani Kurdish nationalist leader He announced his
conversion to Christianity in 1931 during the anti-government uprising[26]
Simeon Bekbulatovich - Khan of Qasim Khanate[27]
Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky - Russian officer of Circassian origin who led
the first Russian military expedition into Central Asia[28]
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Francis Bok - Sudanese-American activist convert to Islam from Christianity butlater returned to his Christian faith[29]
Jean-Beacutedel Bokassa - Central African Republic Emperor (from Christianity to
Islam back to Christianity)[30]
DrThomas Yayi Boni - President of Benin[31]
Sayed Borhan khan - Khan of Qasim Khanate from 1627 to 1679
[27]
C
Casilda of Toledo - venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church According to her
legend St Casilda a daughter of a Muslim king of Toledo (called Almacrin orAlmamun) showed special kindness to Christian prisoners by carrying bread
hidden in her clothes to feed them
George XI of Kartli - ruled Kartli eastern Georgia
Djibril Cisseacute - French soccer player of Ivorian descent[32]
Eldridge Cleaver - Author prominent American civil rights leader and key
member of the Black Panther Party He converted to Mormonism
[33][34]
Constantine the African - Baghdad-educated Muslim who died in 1087 as a
Christian monk at Monte Cassino[35][36]
D
Nonie Darwish - Egyptian American writer and public speaker[5]
Sedar Dedeoglu - a Turk who claims to be a descendant of Islams prophetMuhammad has converted to Christianity while living in Germany[37]
Hassan Dehqani-Tafti - Anglican Bishop of Iran from 1961 to 1990[38]
Mehdi Dibaj - Iranian pastor and Christian activist[39]
Momolu Dukuly - politician in Liberia He left Islam and embraced Christianity before he became foreign minister [33]
E
Bahaa el-Din Ahmed Hussein el-Akkad - an Egyptian former Muslim sheikh Formore than 20 years el-Akkad was a member of the fundamentalist Islamic group
Dawa el Tabligh which actively proselytized non-Muslims but strictly opposed
violence He also led a mosque community in Al-Haram in the Giza area adjacentto Cairo In 1994 he published Islam the Religion a 500-page book reviewing
the traditional beliefs and dogmas of Islam He late became disillusioned with
Islam and began to question certain Islamic tenets A theological discourse with aChristian led him to conduct an intensive study of Christian Scripture after which
he converted to Christianity in January 2005[4]
Estevanico - Berber originally from Morocco and one of the early explorers of the
Southwestern United States[40]
Gulshan Esther - Pakistani convert from Islam to Christianity[41]
F
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Donald Fareed - Iranian Christian tele-evangelist and minister[42]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish religious leader who claimed to be the
reincarnation of the self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi and also of King
David Frank publicly converted to Islam in 1757 and later to Christianity atPoland in 1759 but actually presented himself as the Messiah of a syncretic
derivation of Shabbatai Zevis Messianism now referred to as Frankism
[43]
G
Mark A Gabriel- Egyptian Islamic scholar and writer[44]
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross- Counter-terrorism expert and attorney (from Judaismto Islam to Christianity)[45][46]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila - American football player[6][47]
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - an American football defensive end who was drafted by
the Green Bay Packers and is currently a free agent
Ruffa Gutierrez - Filipina actress model and former beauty queen (from
Christianity to Islam back to Christianity)
[48]
H
Umar ibn Hafsun - Leader of anti-Ummayad dynasty forces in southern Iberia
Hafsun converted to Christianity with his sons and ruled over several mountain
valleys for nearly forty years having the castle Bobastro as his residence[49]
Naveed Afzal Haq - Pakistani American charged for the July 2006 Seattle JewishFederation shooting He converted to Christianity in December 2005 but reverted
to Islam by the time of the shooting[50]
Mohammed Hegazy - First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek
official recognition of his conversion from the Egyptian GovernmentThreatsforce Egyptian convert to hide MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press Writer
Sat August 11[7]
Aben Humeya - (born Fernando de Valor) Morisco Chief who was crowned theEmir of Andalusia by his followers and led the Morisco Revolt against Philip II of
Spain[51]
Mariam Muhina Hussein - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered
by al Shabaab members after discovering she had six Bibles[10]
I
Tunch Ilkin - Former American football player
[52]
Qadry Ismail - Former American football player[53]
Raghib Ismail - Former American football player[54]
J
Ubayd-Allah ibn Jahsh - Brother of Zaynab bint Jahsh the wife of Prophet
Muhammad and one of the male Sahaba (companions of the Prophet)[55]
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Esther John - a Pakistani Christian nurse[56]
She is counted in ten most famousChristian martyrs of the present day
Lina Joy - Malaysian convert to Christianity The desire to have her conversion
recognized was the subject of a court case in Malaysia[57]
Don Juan of Persia - a late 16th and early 17th century figure in Iran and Spain
He settled in Spain where he became a Roman Catholic
K
Tuğccedile Kazaz - Turkish model who was Miss Turkey in 2001[58]
Alexander Kazembek - Russian Orientalist historian and philologist of Azeri origin [59]
Mathieu Keacutereacutekou- President of Benin (from Christianity to Islam back toChristianity)[60]
Omar Khalafe - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab
members[10]
Kitty Kirkpatrick - born in India and brought up as Shia Muslim
Emir Kusturica - Bosnian born filmmaker and actor[61][62]
L
Imad ud-din Lahiz - Prolific Islamic writer preacher and Quranic translator[63]
Fernatildeo Lopez - first known permanent inhabitant of the remote Island of Saint
Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean
Dr Nur Luke - Uyghur Bible translator[64]
M
Fadhma Aiumlt Mansour - Mother of French writers Jean Amrouche and Taos
Amrouche[65]
Majeed Rashid Mohammed - a Kurdish Christian convert from Islam Heestablished a network with former Kurdish Muslims with about 2000 members
today[66]
Sake Dean Mahomed - an Indian traveller surgeon and entrepreneur who
introduced the Indian take-away curry house restaurant in Britain and was the
first Indian to have written a book in the English language
Josef Maumlssrur - (born Ghaumlsim Khan) missionary to Chinese Turkestan with the
Mission Union of Sweden[67]
Ahmed Matan a Somali convert to Christianity who was shot by al Shabaab members[10]
Carlos Menem - Former President of Argentina Raised a Muslim but converted
to Roman Catholicism a constitutional requirement for accessing the presidency
until 1994[68]
Yadegar Mokhammad of Kazan - was the last khan of Kazan Khanate (1552)
Yadegar Moxammat of Kazan - Last khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
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Muhsin Muhammad current American football player for the Carolina Panthers raised in a Muslim household later converted to Christianity[69]
Paul Mulla - Turkish scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute[70]
N
Marina Nemat - Canadian author of Iranian descent and former political prisonerof the Iranian government Born into a Christian family she converted to Islam in
order to avoid execution but later reverted to Christianity[71]
Nunilo and Alodia - a pair of child martyrs from Huesca Born of a mixedmarriage they eschewed the Islam of their father in favour of their mothers
Christianity
O
Malika Oufkir - Moroccan writer daughter of General Mohamed Oufkir andformer prisoner of King Hassan II of Morocco
P
Shams Pahlavi - Iranian princess and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Shah of Iran[72]
Hamid Pourmand - Former Iranian army colonel and lay leader of the Jamaat-e
Rabbani the Iranian branch of the Assemblies of God church in Iran[73]
R
Abdul Rahman - Afghan convert to Christianity who escaped the death penalty
because of foreign pressure[74]
Stefan Razvan - Gypsy prince who ruled Moldavia for six months in 1595[75]
Emily Ruete - (born Sayyida Salme) Princess of Zanzibar and Oman[76][77][78]
Ibrahim Rugova - an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo
and of its leading political party the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)
S
Nazli Sabri - Queen consort of Egypt[79][80]
Begum Samru - Powerful lady of north India ruling a large area from Sardhana Uttar Pradesh
[81]
James Scurry - a British soldier and statesman
Mohamed Aliacute Seineldiacuten - a former Argentine army colonel who participated in
two failed coup attempts against the democratically elected governments of bothPresident Raul Alfonsin and President Carlos Menem in 1988 and 1990[82]
Hakeem Seriki (AKA Chamillionaire) - American rapper[83][84]
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The Sibirsky family - The foremost of many Genghisid (Shaybanid) noblefamilies formerly living in Russia[85]
The Shihab family - prominent Lebanese noble family who originally belonged to
Sunni Islam and converted to Christianity at the end of the 18th century[86]
Walid Shoebat - American author and former member of the PLO[87]
Nasir Siddiki - Canadian evangelist author and business consultant
[88]
Amir Sjarifuddin - Indonesian socialist leader who later became the prime
minister of Indonesia during its National Revolution[9]
Skanderbeg - Albanian military leader Skanderbeg converted to Islam from
Christianity but reverted back to Christianity later in life[89]
Rudolf Carl von Slatin - Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in theSudan[90]
Hossein Soodmand - executed for apostasy Although born a Muslim by 1989
Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years
Patrick Sookhdeo - British Anglican canon[91]
T
Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal - Two Turkish Christian converts who went on
trial in 2006 on charges of allegedly insulting Turkishness and incitingreligious hatred against Islam[92]
Maria Temrjukovna - a Circassian princess and second wife to Ivan IV of Russia
who was born in a Muslim upbringing and baptised into the Russian OrthodoxChurch on August 21 1561[93]
Ghorban Tourani - Former Iranian Sunni Muslim who became a Christian
minister Following multiple murder threats he was abducted and murdered on
November 22 2005[94]
U
Utameshgaray of Kazan - Khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
W
George Weah - Liberian soccer player (from Christianity to Islam back to
Christianity)[95]
George Weah Jr - Liberian American footballer who plays for FC Wohlen[96]
Y
Mosab Hassan Yousef - son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity after
moving to the United States[97]
Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf - a Somali convert to Christianity[10]
Ramzi Yousef - Al Qaeda member and the main participant in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing and The Bojinka plot[98][99]
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
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From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
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Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
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Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
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Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
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Abraham of Bulgaria - Martyr and saint of the Russian Orthodox Church[12]
St Adolphus - Christian martyr who was put to death along with his brother
John by Abd ar-Rahman II Caliph of Coacuterdoba for apostasy[13]
Mehmet Ali Ağca - Turkish born who attempt to murder Pope John Paul II in1981 He beacme a Catholic during his time in prison
Al-Mueiyyad - Abbasid prince and third son of Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil He was converted to Christianity along with his three confidants by St Theodore
of Edessa accepting the name John upon baptism[14][15]
Jabalah ibn al-Aiham - last ruler of the Ghassanid state in Syria and Jordan in the
seventh century AD After the Islamic conquest of Levant he converted to Islam
in AD 638 He reverted to Christianity later on and lived in Anatolia until he diedin AD 645[16]
Daniel Ali- Iraqi Kurdish Christian author speaker and Islamic scholar
evangelizes in Catholic Protestant and Messianic Jewish circles[17][18]
Ibrahim Ben Ali - a soldier physician and one of the earliest American settlers of
Turkish origin
Amina Muse Ali - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab members
[10]
Mohammed Ahmed Ali - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered by
al Shabaab members[19]
Magdi Allam (baptized as Magdi Cristiano Allam) - Italys most famous Islamicaffairs journalist[8]
Zachariah Anani - Former Sunni Muslim Lebanese militia fighter [20]
Hussain Andaryas - Afghan Christian activist and tele-evangelist[21]
Matthew Ashimolowo - Nigerian-born British pastor and evangelist[22]
Aurelius and Natalia - Christian martyrs who were put to death during the reign of
Abd ar-Rahman II Caliph of Coacuterdoba for apostasy[23]
Maria Aurora of Spiegel - born as Fatima mistress of Augustus II of Saxony
Johannes Avetaranian - (born Muhammad Shukri Efendi) Christian missionary
and Turkish descendent of Prophet Muhammad[24]
B
Josephine Bakhita - Roman Catholic saint from Darfur Sudan[25]
Sarah Balabagan - a Filipina prisoner in the United Arab Emirates during 1994 -
96 whose case caused a good deal of controversy
Fathima Rifqa Bary - a young woman of Sri Lankan descent who drewinternational attention in 2009 when at age 16 she ran away from her Ohio home
saying that her Muslim parents are going to kill her for becoming a Christian
Sheikh Ahmed Barzani - Head of Barzani Tribe in Iraqi Kurdistan and olderbrother of Mustafa Barzani Kurdish nationalist leader He announced his
conversion to Christianity in 1931 during the anti-government uprising[26]
Simeon Bekbulatovich - Khan of Qasim Khanate[27]
Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky - Russian officer of Circassian origin who led
the first Russian military expedition into Central Asia[28]
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Francis Bok - Sudanese-American activist convert to Islam from Christianity butlater returned to his Christian faith[29]
Jean-Beacutedel Bokassa - Central African Republic Emperor (from Christianity to
Islam back to Christianity)[30]
DrThomas Yayi Boni - President of Benin[31]
Sayed Borhan khan - Khan of Qasim Khanate from 1627 to 1679
[27]
C
Casilda of Toledo - venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church According to her
legend St Casilda a daughter of a Muslim king of Toledo (called Almacrin orAlmamun) showed special kindness to Christian prisoners by carrying bread
hidden in her clothes to feed them
George XI of Kartli - ruled Kartli eastern Georgia
Djibril Cisseacute - French soccer player of Ivorian descent[32]
Eldridge Cleaver - Author prominent American civil rights leader and key
member of the Black Panther Party He converted to Mormonism
[33][34]
Constantine the African - Baghdad-educated Muslim who died in 1087 as a
Christian monk at Monte Cassino[35][36]
D
Nonie Darwish - Egyptian American writer and public speaker[5]
Sedar Dedeoglu - a Turk who claims to be a descendant of Islams prophetMuhammad has converted to Christianity while living in Germany[37]
Hassan Dehqani-Tafti - Anglican Bishop of Iran from 1961 to 1990[38]
Mehdi Dibaj - Iranian pastor and Christian activist[39]
Momolu Dukuly - politician in Liberia He left Islam and embraced Christianity before he became foreign minister [33]
E
Bahaa el-Din Ahmed Hussein el-Akkad - an Egyptian former Muslim sheikh Formore than 20 years el-Akkad was a member of the fundamentalist Islamic group
Dawa el Tabligh which actively proselytized non-Muslims but strictly opposed
violence He also led a mosque community in Al-Haram in the Giza area adjacentto Cairo In 1994 he published Islam the Religion a 500-page book reviewing
the traditional beliefs and dogmas of Islam He late became disillusioned with
Islam and began to question certain Islamic tenets A theological discourse with aChristian led him to conduct an intensive study of Christian Scripture after which
he converted to Christianity in January 2005[4]
Estevanico - Berber originally from Morocco and one of the early explorers of the
Southwestern United States[40]
Gulshan Esther - Pakistani convert from Islam to Christianity[41]
F
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Donald Fareed - Iranian Christian tele-evangelist and minister[42]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish religious leader who claimed to be the
reincarnation of the self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi and also of King
David Frank publicly converted to Islam in 1757 and later to Christianity atPoland in 1759 but actually presented himself as the Messiah of a syncretic
derivation of Shabbatai Zevis Messianism now referred to as Frankism
[43]
G
Mark A Gabriel- Egyptian Islamic scholar and writer[44]
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross- Counter-terrorism expert and attorney (from Judaismto Islam to Christianity)[45][46]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila - American football player[6][47]
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - an American football defensive end who was drafted by
the Green Bay Packers and is currently a free agent
Ruffa Gutierrez - Filipina actress model and former beauty queen (from
Christianity to Islam back to Christianity)
[48]
H
Umar ibn Hafsun - Leader of anti-Ummayad dynasty forces in southern Iberia
Hafsun converted to Christianity with his sons and ruled over several mountain
valleys for nearly forty years having the castle Bobastro as his residence[49]
Naveed Afzal Haq - Pakistani American charged for the July 2006 Seattle JewishFederation shooting He converted to Christianity in December 2005 but reverted
to Islam by the time of the shooting[50]
Mohammed Hegazy - First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek
official recognition of his conversion from the Egyptian GovernmentThreatsforce Egyptian convert to hide MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press Writer
Sat August 11[7]
Aben Humeya - (born Fernando de Valor) Morisco Chief who was crowned theEmir of Andalusia by his followers and led the Morisco Revolt against Philip II of
Spain[51]
Mariam Muhina Hussein - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered
by al Shabaab members after discovering she had six Bibles[10]
I
Tunch Ilkin - Former American football player
[52]
Qadry Ismail - Former American football player[53]
Raghib Ismail - Former American football player[54]
J
Ubayd-Allah ibn Jahsh - Brother of Zaynab bint Jahsh the wife of Prophet
Muhammad and one of the male Sahaba (companions of the Prophet)[55]
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Esther John - a Pakistani Christian nurse[56]
She is counted in ten most famousChristian martyrs of the present day
Lina Joy - Malaysian convert to Christianity The desire to have her conversion
recognized was the subject of a court case in Malaysia[57]
Don Juan of Persia - a late 16th and early 17th century figure in Iran and Spain
He settled in Spain where he became a Roman Catholic
K
Tuğccedile Kazaz - Turkish model who was Miss Turkey in 2001[58]
Alexander Kazembek - Russian Orientalist historian and philologist of Azeri origin [59]
Mathieu Keacutereacutekou- President of Benin (from Christianity to Islam back toChristianity)[60]
Omar Khalafe - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab
members[10]
Kitty Kirkpatrick - born in India and brought up as Shia Muslim
Emir Kusturica - Bosnian born filmmaker and actor[61][62]
L
Imad ud-din Lahiz - Prolific Islamic writer preacher and Quranic translator[63]
Fernatildeo Lopez - first known permanent inhabitant of the remote Island of Saint
Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean
Dr Nur Luke - Uyghur Bible translator[64]
M
Fadhma Aiumlt Mansour - Mother of French writers Jean Amrouche and Taos
Amrouche[65]
Majeed Rashid Mohammed - a Kurdish Christian convert from Islam Heestablished a network with former Kurdish Muslims with about 2000 members
today[66]
Sake Dean Mahomed - an Indian traveller surgeon and entrepreneur who
introduced the Indian take-away curry house restaurant in Britain and was the
first Indian to have written a book in the English language
Josef Maumlssrur - (born Ghaumlsim Khan) missionary to Chinese Turkestan with the
Mission Union of Sweden[67]
Ahmed Matan a Somali convert to Christianity who was shot by al Shabaab members[10]
Carlos Menem - Former President of Argentina Raised a Muslim but converted
to Roman Catholicism a constitutional requirement for accessing the presidency
until 1994[68]
Yadegar Mokhammad of Kazan - was the last khan of Kazan Khanate (1552)
Yadegar Moxammat of Kazan - Last khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
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Muhsin Muhammad current American football player for the Carolina Panthers raised in a Muslim household later converted to Christianity[69]
Paul Mulla - Turkish scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute[70]
N
Marina Nemat - Canadian author of Iranian descent and former political prisonerof the Iranian government Born into a Christian family she converted to Islam in
order to avoid execution but later reverted to Christianity[71]
Nunilo and Alodia - a pair of child martyrs from Huesca Born of a mixedmarriage they eschewed the Islam of their father in favour of their mothers
Christianity
O
Malika Oufkir - Moroccan writer daughter of General Mohamed Oufkir andformer prisoner of King Hassan II of Morocco
P
Shams Pahlavi - Iranian princess and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Shah of Iran[72]
Hamid Pourmand - Former Iranian army colonel and lay leader of the Jamaat-e
Rabbani the Iranian branch of the Assemblies of God church in Iran[73]
R
Abdul Rahman - Afghan convert to Christianity who escaped the death penalty
because of foreign pressure[74]
Stefan Razvan - Gypsy prince who ruled Moldavia for six months in 1595[75]
Emily Ruete - (born Sayyida Salme) Princess of Zanzibar and Oman[76][77][78]
Ibrahim Rugova - an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo
and of its leading political party the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)
S
Nazli Sabri - Queen consort of Egypt[79][80]
Begum Samru - Powerful lady of north India ruling a large area from Sardhana Uttar Pradesh
[81]
James Scurry - a British soldier and statesman
Mohamed Aliacute Seineldiacuten - a former Argentine army colonel who participated in
two failed coup attempts against the democratically elected governments of bothPresident Raul Alfonsin and President Carlos Menem in 1988 and 1990[82]
Hakeem Seriki (AKA Chamillionaire) - American rapper[83][84]
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The Sibirsky family - The foremost of many Genghisid (Shaybanid) noblefamilies formerly living in Russia[85]
The Shihab family - prominent Lebanese noble family who originally belonged to
Sunni Islam and converted to Christianity at the end of the 18th century[86]
Walid Shoebat - American author and former member of the PLO[87]
Nasir Siddiki - Canadian evangelist author and business consultant
[88]
Amir Sjarifuddin - Indonesian socialist leader who later became the prime
minister of Indonesia during its National Revolution[9]
Skanderbeg - Albanian military leader Skanderbeg converted to Islam from
Christianity but reverted back to Christianity later in life[89]
Rudolf Carl von Slatin - Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in theSudan[90]
Hossein Soodmand - executed for apostasy Although born a Muslim by 1989
Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years
Patrick Sookhdeo - British Anglican canon[91]
T
Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal - Two Turkish Christian converts who went on
trial in 2006 on charges of allegedly insulting Turkishness and incitingreligious hatred against Islam[92]
Maria Temrjukovna - a Circassian princess and second wife to Ivan IV of Russia
who was born in a Muslim upbringing and baptised into the Russian OrthodoxChurch on August 21 1561[93]
Ghorban Tourani - Former Iranian Sunni Muslim who became a Christian
minister Following multiple murder threats he was abducted and murdered on
November 22 2005[94]
U
Utameshgaray of Kazan - Khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
W
George Weah - Liberian soccer player (from Christianity to Islam back to
Christianity)[95]
George Weah Jr - Liberian American footballer who plays for FC Wohlen[96]
Y
Mosab Hassan Yousef - son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity after
moving to the United States[97]
Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf - a Somali convert to Christianity[10]
Ramzi Yousef - Al Qaeda member and the main participant in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing and The Bojinka plot[98][99]
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
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From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
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Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
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Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
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Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
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Francis Bok - Sudanese-American activist convert to Islam from Christianity butlater returned to his Christian faith[29]
Jean-Beacutedel Bokassa - Central African Republic Emperor (from Christianity to
Islam back to Christianity)[30]
DrThomas Yayi Boni - President of Benin[31]
Sayed Borhan khan - Khan of Qasim Khanate from 1627 to 1679
[27]
C
Casilda of Toledo - venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church According to her
legend St Casilda a daughter of a Muslim king of Toledo (called Almacrin orAlmamun) showed special kindness to Christian prisoners by carrying bread
hidden in her clothes to feed them
George XI of Kartli - ruled Kartli eastern Georgia
Djibril Cisseacute - French soccer player of Ivorian descent[32]
Eldridge Cleaver - Author prominent American civil rights leader and key
member of the Black Panther Party He converted to Mormonism
[33][34]
Constantine the African - Baghdad-educated Muslim who died in 1087 as a
Christian monk at Monte Cassino[35][36]
D
Nonie Darwish - Egyptian American writer and public speaker[5]
Sedar Dedeoglu - a Turk who claims to be a descendant of Islams prophetMuhammad has converted to Christianity while living in Germany[37]
Hassan Dehqani-Tafti - Anglican Bishop of Iran from 1961 to 1990[38]
Mehdi Dibaj - Iranian pastor and Christian activist[39]
Momolu Dukuly - politician in Liberia He left Islam and embraced Christianity before he became foreign minister [33]
E
Bahaa el-Din Ahmed Hussein el-Akkad - an Egyptian former Muslim sheikh Formore than 20 years el-Akkad was a member of the fundamentalist Islamic group
Dawa el Tabligh which actively proselytized non-Muslims but strictly opposed
violence He also led a mosque community in Al-Haram in the Giza area adjacentto Cairo In 1994 he published Islam the Religion a 500-page book reviewing
the traditional beliefs and dogmas of Islam He late became disillusioned with
Islam and began to question certain Islamic tenets A theological discourse with aChristian led him to conduct an intensive study of Christian Scripture after which
he converted to Christianity in January 2005[4]
Estevanico - Berber originally from Morocco and one of the early explorers of the
Southwestern United States[40]
Gulshan Esther - Pakistani convert from Islam to Christianity[41]
F
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Donald Fareed - Iranian Christian tele-evangelist and minister[42]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish religious leader who claimed to be the
reincarnation of the self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi and also of King
David Frank publicly converted to Islam in 1757 and later to Christianity atPoland in 1759 but actually presented himself as the Messiah of a syncretic
derivation of Shabbatai Zevis Messianism now referred to as Frankism
[43]
G
Mark A Gabriel- Egyptian Islamic scholar and writer[44]
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross- Counter-terrorism expert and attorney (from Judaismto Islam to Christianity)[45][46]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila - American football player[6][47]
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - an American football defensive end who was drafted by
the Green Bay Packers and is currently a free agent
Ruffa Gutierrez - Filipina actress model and former beauty queen (from
Christianity to Islam back to Christianity)
[48]
H
Umar ibn Hafsun - Leader of anti-Ummayad dynasty forces in southern Iberia
Hafsun converted to Christianity with his sons and ruled over several mountain
valleys for nearly forty years having the castle Bobastro as his residence[49]
Naveed Afzal Haq - Pakistani American charged for the July 2006 Seattle JewishFederation shooting He converted to Christianity in December 2005 but reverted
to Islam by the time of the shooting[50]
Mohammed Hegazy - First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek
official recognition of his conversion from the Egyptian GovernmentThreatsforce Egyptian convert to hide MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press Writer
Sat August 11[7]
Aben Humeya - (born Fernando de Valor) Morisco Chief who was crowned theEmir of Andalusia by his followers and led the Morisco Revolt against Philip II of
Spain[51]
Mariam Muhina Hussein - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered
by al Shabaab members after discovering she had six Bibles[10]
I
Tunch Ilkin - Former American football player
[52]
Qadry Ismail - Former American football player[53]
Raghib Ismail - Former American football player[54]
J
Ubayd-Allah ibn Jahsh - Brother of Zaynab bint Jahsh the wife of Prophet
Muhammad and one of the male Sahaba (companions of the Prophet)[55]
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Esther John - a Pakistani Christian nurse[56]
She is counted in ten most famousChristian martyrs of the present day
Lina Joy - Malaysian convert to Christianity The desire to have her conversion
recognized was the subject of a court case in Malaysia[57]
Don Juan of Persia - a late 16th and early 17th century figure in Iran and Spain
He settled in Spain where he became a Roman Catholic
K
Tuğccedile Kazaz - Turkish model who was Miss Turkey in 2001[58]
Alexander Kazembek - Russian Orientalist historian and philologist of Azeri origin [59]
Mathieu Keacutereacutekou- President of Benin (from Christianity to Islam back toChristianity)[60]
Omar Khalafe - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab
members[10]
Kitty Kirkpatrick - born in India and brought up as Shia Muslim
Emir Kusturica - Bosnian born filmmaker and actor[61][62]
L
Imad ud-din Lahiz - Prolific Islamic writer preacher and Quranic translator[63]
Fernatildeo Lopez - first known permanent inhabitant of the remote Island of Saint
Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean
Dr Nur Luke - Uyghur Bible translator[64]
M
Fadhma Aiumlt Mansour - Mother of French writers Jean Amrouche and Taos
Amrouche[65]
Majeed Rashid Mohammed - a Kurdish Christian convert from Islam Heestablished a network with former Kurdish Muslims with about 2000 members
today[66]
Sake Dean Mahomed - an Indian traveller surgeon and entrepreneur who
introduced the Indian take-away curry house restaurant in Britain and was the
first Indian to have written a book in the English language
Josef Maumlssrur - (born Ghaumlsim Khan) missionary to Chinese Turkestan with the
Mission Union of Sweden[67]
Ahmed Matan a Somali convert to Christianity who was shot by al Shabaab members[10]
Carlos Menem - Former President of Argentina Raised a Muslim but converted
to Roman Catholicism a constitutional requirement for accessing the presidency
until 1994[68]
Yadegar Mokhammad of Kazan - was the last khan of Kazan Khanate (1552)
Yadegar Moxammat of Kazan - Last khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
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Muhsin Muhammad current American football player for the Carolina Panthers raised in a Muslim household later converted to Christianity[69]
Paul Mulla - Turkish scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute[70]
N
Marina Nemat - Canadian author of Iranian descent and former political prisonerof the Iranian government Born into a Christian family she converted to Islam in
order to avoid execution but later reverted to Christianity[71]
Nunilo and Alodia - a pair of child martyrs from Huesca Born of a mixedmarriage they eschewed the Islam of their father in favour of their mothers
Christianity
O
Malika Oufkir - Moroccan writer daughter of General Mohamed Oufkir andformer prisoner of King Hassan II of Morocco
P
Shams Pahlavi - Iranian princess and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Shah of Iran[72]
Hamid Pourmand - Former Iranian army colonel and lay leader of the Jamaat-e
Rabbani the Iranian branch of the Assemblies of God church in Iran[73]
R
Abdul Rahman - Afghan convert to Christianity who escaped the death penalty
because of foreign pressure[74]
Stefan Razvan - Gypsy prince who ruled Moldavia for six months in 1595[75]
Emily Ruete - (born Sayyida Salme) Princess of Zanzibar and Oman[76][77][78]
Ibrahim Rugova - an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo
and of its leading political party the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)
S
Nazli Sabri - Queen consort of Egypt[79][80]
Begum Samru - Powerful lady of north India ruling a large area from Sardhana Uttar Pradesh
[81]
James Scurry - a British soldier and statesman
Mohamed Aliacute Seineldiacuten - a former Argentine army colonel who participated in
two failed coup attempts against the democratically elected governments of bothPresident Raul Alfonsin and President Carlos Menem in 1988 and 1990[82]
Hakeem Seriki (AKA Chamillionaire) - American rapper[83][84]
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The Sibirsky family - The foremost of many Genghisid (Shaybanid) noblefamilies formerly living in Russia[85]
The Shihab family - prominent Lebanese noble family who originally belonged to
Sunni Islam and converted to Christianity at the end of the 18th century[86]
Walid Shoebat - American author and former member of the PLO[87]
Nasir Siddiki - Canadian evangelist author and business consultant
[88]
Amir Sjarifuddin - Indonesian socialist leader who later became the prime
minister of Indonesia during its National Revolution[9]
Skanderbeg - Albanian military leader Skanderbeg converted to Islam from
Christianity but reverted back to Christianity later in life[89]
Rudolf Carl von Slatin - Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in theSudan[90]
Hossein Soodmand - executed for apostasy Although born a Muslim by 1989
Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years
Patrick Sookhdeo - British Anglican canon[91]
T
Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal - Two Turkish Christian converts who went on
trial in 2006 on charges of allegedly insulting Turkishness and incitingreligious hatred against Islam[92]
Maria Temrjukovna - a Circassian princess and second wife to Ivan IV of Russia
who was born in a Muslim upbringing and baptised into the Russian OrthodoxChurch on August 21 1561[93]
Ghorban Tourani - Former Iranian Sunni Muslim who became a Christian
minister Following multiple murder threats he was abducted and murdered on
November 22 2005[94]
U
Utameshgaray of Kazan - Khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
W
George Weah - Liberian soccer player (from Christianity to Islam back to
Christianity)[95]
George Weah Jr - Liberian American footballer who plays for FC Wohlen[96]
Y
Mosab Hassan Yousef - son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity after
moving to the United States[97]
Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf - a Somali convert to Christianity[10]
Ramzi Yousef - Al Qaeda member and the main participant in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing and The Bojinka plot[98][99]
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
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From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
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Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
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Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
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Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
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Donald Fareed - Iranian Christian tele-evangelist and minister[42]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish religious leader who claimed to be the
reincarnation of the self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi and also of King
David Frank publicly converted to Islam in 1757 and later to Christianity atPoland in 1759 but actually presented himself as the Messiah of a syncretic
derivation of Shabbatai Zevis Messianism now referred to as Frankism
[43]
G
Mark A Gabriel- Egyptian Islamic scholar and writer[44]
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross- Counter-terrorism expert and attorney (from Judaismto Islam to Christianity)[45][46]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila - American football player[6][47]
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - an American football defensive end who was drafted by
the Green Bay Packers and is currently a free agent
Ruffa Gutierrez - Filipina actress model and former beauty queen (from
Christianity to Islam back to Christianity)
[48]
H
Umar ibn Hafsun - Leader of anti-Ummayad dynasty forces in southern Iberia
Hafsun converted to Christianity with his sons and ruled over several mountain
valleys for nearly forty years having the castle Bobastro as his residence[49]
Naveed Afzal Haq - Pakistani American charged for the July 2006 Seattle JewishFederation shooting He converted to Christianity in December 2005 but reverted
to Islam by the time of the shooting[50]
Mohammed Hegazy - First Egyptian Muslim convert to Christianity to seek
official recognition of his conversion from the Egyptian GovernmentThreatsforce Egyptian convert to hide MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press Writer
Sat August 11[7]
Aben Humeya - (born Fernando de Valor) Morisco Chief who was crowned theEmir of Andalusia by his followers and led the Morisco Revolt against Philip II of
Spain[51]
Mariam Muhina Hussein - a Somali convert to Christianity who were murdered
by al Shabaab members after discovering she had six Bibles[10]
I
Tunch Ilkin - Former American football player
[52]
Qadry Ismail - Former American football player[53]
Raghib Ismail - Former American football player[54]
J
Ubayd-Allah ibn Jahsh - Brother of Zaynab bint Jahsh the wife of Prophet
Muhammad and one of the male Sahaba (companions of the Prophet)[55]
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Esther John - a Pakistani Christian nurse[56]
She is counted in ten most famousChristian martyrs of the present day
Lina Joy - Malaysian convert to Christianity The desire to have her conversion
recognized was the subject of a court case in Malaysia[57]
Don Juan of Persia - a late 16th and early 17th century figure in Iran and Spain
He settled in Spain where he became a Roman Catholic
K
Tuğccedile Kazaz - Turkish model who was Miss Turkey in 2001[58]
Alexander Kazembek - Russian Orientalist historian and philologist of Azeri origin [59]
Mathieu Keacutereacutekou- President of Benin (from Christianity to Islam back toChristianity)[60]
Omar Khalafe - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab
members[10]
Kitty Kirkpatrick - born in India and brought up as Shia Muslim
Emir Kusturica - Bosnian born filmmaker and actor[61][62]
L
Imad ud-din Lahiz - Prolific Islamic writer preacher and Quranic translator[63]
Fernatildeo Lopez - first known permanent inhabitant of the remote Island of Saint
Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean
Dr Nur Luke - Uyghur Bible translator[64]
M
Fadhma Aiumlt Mansour - Mother of French writers Jean Amrouche and Taos
Amrouche[65]
Majeed Rashid Mohammed - a Kurdish Christian convert from Islam Heestablished a network with former Kurdish Muslims with about 2000 members
today[66]
Sake Dean Mahomed - an Indian traveller surgeon and entrepreneur who
introduced the Indian take-away curry house restaurant in Britain and was the
first Indian to have written a book in the English language
Josef Maumlssrur - (born Ghaumlsim Khan) missionary to Chinese Turkestan with the
Mission Union of Sweden[67]
Ahmed Matan a Somali convert to Christianity who was shot by al Shabaab members[10]
Carlos Menem - Former President of Argentina Raised a Muslim but converted
to Roman Catholicism a constitutional requirement for accessing the presidency
until 1994[68]
Yadegar Mokhammad of Kazan - was the last khan of Kazan Khanate (1552)
Yadegar Moxammat of Kazan - Last khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
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Muhsin Muhammad current American football player for the Carolina Panthers raised in a Muslim household later converted to Christianity[69]
Paul Mulla - Turkish scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute[70]
N
Marina Nemat - Canadian author of Iranian descent and former political prisonerof the Iranian government Born into a Christian family she converted to Islam in
order to avoid execution but later reverted to Christianity[71]
Nunilo and Alodia - a pair of child martyrs from Huesca Born of a mixedmarriage they eschewed the Islam of their father in favour of their mothers
Christianity
O
Malika Oufkir - Moroccan writer daughter of General Mohamed Oufkir andformer prisoner of King Hassan II of Morocco
P
Shams Pahlavi - Iranian princess and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Shah of Iran[72]
Hamid Pourmand - Former Iranian army colonel and lay leader of the Jamaat-e
Rabbani the Iranian branch of the Assemblies of God church in Iran[73]
R
Abdul Rahman - Afghan convert to Christianity who escaped the death penalty
because of foreign pressure[74]
Stefan Razvan - Gypsy prince who ruled Moldavia for six months in 1595[75]
Emily Ruete - (born Sayyida Salme) Princess of Zanzibar and Oman[76][77][78]
Ibrahim Rugova - an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo
and of its leading political party the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)
S
Nazli Sabri - Queen consort of Egypt[79][80]
Begum Samru - Powerful lady of north India ruling a large area from Sardhana Uttar Pradesh
[81]
James Scurry - a British soldier and statesman
Mohamed Aliacute Seineldiacuten - a former Argentine army colonel who participated in
two failed coup attempts against the democratically elected governments of bothPresident Raul Alfonsin and President Carlos Menem in 1988 and 1990[82]
Hakeem Seriki (AKA Chamillionaire) - American rapper[83][84]
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The Sibirsky family - The foremost of many Genghisid (Shaybanid) noblefamilies formerly living in Russia[85]
The Shihab family - prominent Lebanese noble family who originally belonged to
Sunni Islam and converted to Christianity at the end of the 18th century[86]
Walid Shoebat - American author and former member of the PLO[87]
Nasir Siddiki - Canadian evangelist author and business consultant
[88]
Amir Sjarifuddin - Indonesian socialist leader who later became the prime
minister of Indonesia during its National Revolution[9]
Skanderbeg - Albanian military leader Skanderbeg converted to Islam from
Christianity but reverted back to Christianity later in life[89]
Rudolf Carl von Slatin - Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in theSudan[90]
Hossein Soodmand - executed for apostasy Although born a Muslim by 1989
Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years
Patrick Sookhdeo - British Anglican canon[91]
T
Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal - Two Turkish Christian converts who went on
trial in 2006 on charges of allegedly insulting Turkishness and incitingreligious hatred against Islam[92]
Maria Temrjukovna - a Circassian princess and second wife to Ivan IV of Russia
who was born in a Muslim upbringing and baptised into the Russian OrthodoxChurch on August 21 1561[93]
Ghorban Tourani - Former Iranian Sunni Muslim who became a Christian
minister Following multiple murder threats he was abducted and murdered on
November 22 2005[94]
U
Utameshgaray of Kazan - Khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
W
George Weah - Liberian soccer player (from Christianity to Islam back to
Christianity)[95]
George Weah Jr - Liberian American footballer who plays for FC Wohlen[96]
Y
Mosab Hassan Yousef - son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity after
moving to the United States[97]
Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf - a Somali convert to Christianity[10]
Ramzi Yousef - Al Qaeda member and the main participant in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing and The Bojinka plot[98][99]
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
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From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
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Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
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Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
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Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
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Esther John - a Pakistani Christian nurse[56]
She is counted in ten most famousChristian martyrs of the present day
Lina Joy - Malaysian convert to Christianity The desire to have her conversion
recognized was the subject of a court case in Malaysia[57]
Don Juan of Persia - a late 16th and early 17th century figure in Iran and Spain
He settled in Spain where he became a Roman Catholic
K
Tuğccedile Kazaz - Turkish model who was Miss Turkey in 2001[58]
Alexander Kazembek - Russian Orientalist historian and philologist of Azeri origin [59]
Mathieu Keacutereacutekou- President of Benin (from Christianity to Islam back toChristianity)[60]
Omar Khalafe - a Somali convert to Christianity who were shot by al Shabaab
members[10]
Kitty Kirkpatrick - born in India and brought up as Shia Muslim
Emir Kusturica - Bosnian born filmmaker and actor[61][62]
L
Imad ud-din Lahiz - Prolific Islamic writer preacher and Quranic translator[63]
Fernatildeo Lopez - first known permanent inhabitant of the remote Island of Saint
Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean
Dr Nur Luke - Uyghur Bible translator[64]
M
Fadhma Aiumlt Mansour - Mother of French writers Jean Amrouche and Taos
Amrouche[65]
Majeed Rashid Mohammed - a Kurdish Christian convert from Islam Heestablished a network with former Kurdish Muslims with about 2000 members
today[66]
Sake Dean Mahomed - an Indian traveller surgeon and entrepreneur who
introduced the Indian take-away curry house restaurant in Britain and was the
first Indian to have written a book in the English language
Josef Maumlssrur - (born Ghaumlsim Khan) missionary to Chinese Turkestan with the
Mission Union of Sweden[67]
Ahmed Matan a Somali convert to Christianity who was shot by al Shabaab members[10]
Carlos Menem - Former President of Argentina Raised a Muslim but converted
to Roman Catholicism a constitutional requirement for accessing the presidency
until 1994[68]
Yadegar Mokhammad of Kazan - was the last khan of Kazan Khanate (1552)
Yadegar Moxammat of Kazan - Last khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
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Muhsin Muhammad current American football player for the Carolina Panthers raised in a Muslim household later converted to Christianity[69]
Paul Mulla - Turkish scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute[70]
N
Marina Nemat - Canadian author of Iranian descent and former political prisonerof the Iranian government Born into a Christian family she converted to Islam in
order to avoid execution but later reverted to Christianity[71]
Nunilo and Alodia - a pair of child martyrs from Huesca Born of a mixedmarriage they eschewed the Islam of their father in favour of their mothers
Christianity
O
Malika Oufkir - Moroccan writer daughter of General Mohamed Oufkir andformer prisoner of King Hassan II of Morocco
P
Shams Pahlavi - Iranian princess and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Shah of Iran[72]
Hamid Pourmand - Former Iranian army colonel and lay leader of the Jamaat-e
Rabbani the Iranian branch of the Assemblies of God church in Iran[73]
R
Abdul Rahman - Afghan convert to Christianity who escaped the death penalty
because of foreign pressure[74]
Stefan Razvan - Gypsy prince who ruled Moldavia for six months in 1595[75]
Emily Ruete - (born Sayyida Salme) Princess of Zanzibar and Oman[76][77][78]
Ibrahim Rugova - an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo
and of its leading political party the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)
S
Nazli Sabri - Queen consort of Egypt[79][80]
Begum Samru - Powerful lady of north India ruling a large area from Sardhana Uttar Pradesh
[81]
James Scurry - a British soldier and statesman
Mohamed Aliacute Seineldiacuten - a former Argentine army colonel who participated in
two failed coup attempts against the democratically elected governments of bothPresident Raul Alfonsin and President Carlos Menem in 1988 and 1990[82]
Hakeem Seriki (AKA Chamillionaire) - American rapper[83][84]
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The Sibirsky family - The foremost of many Genghisid (Shaybanid) noblefamilies formerly living in Russia[85]
The Shihab family - prominent Lebanese noble family who originally belonged to
Sunni Islam and converted to Christianity at the end of the 18th century[86]
Walid Shoebat - American author and former member of the PLO[87]
Nasir Siddiki - Canadian evangelist author and business consultant
[88]
Amir Sjarifuddin - Indonesian socialist leader who later became the prime
minister of Indonesia during its National Revolution[9]
Skanderbeg - Albanian military leader Skanderbeg converted to Islam from
Christianity but reverted back to Christianity later in life[89]
Rudolf Carl von Slatin - Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in theSudan[90]
Hossein Soodmand - executed for apostasy Although born a Muslim by 1989
Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years
Patrick Sookhdeo - British Anglican canon[91]
T
Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal - Two Turkish Christian converts who went on
trial in 2006 on charges of allegedly insulting Turkishness and incitingreligious hatred against Islam[92]
Maria Temrjukovna - a Circassian princess and second wife to Ivan IV of Russia
who was born in a Muslim upbringing and baptised into the Russian OrthodoxChurch on August 21 1561[93]
Ghorban Tourani - Former Iranian Sunni Muslim who became a Christian
minister Following multiple murder threats he was abducted and murdered on
November 22 2005[94]
U
Utameshgaray of Kazan - Khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
W
George Weah - Liberian soccer player (from Christianity to Islam back to
Christianity)[95]
George Weah Jr - Liberian American footballer who plays for FC Wohlen[96]
Y
Mosab Hassan Yousef - son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity after
moving to the United States[97]
Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf - a Somali convert to Christianity[10]
Ramzi Yousef - Al Qaeda member and the main participant in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing and The Bojinka plot[98][99]
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
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From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
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Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
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Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
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Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
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Muhsin Muhammad current American football player for the Carolina Panthers raised in a Muslim household later converted to Christianity[69]
Paul Mulla - Turkish scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute[70]
N
Marina Nemat - Canadian author of Iranian descent and former political prisonerof the Iranian government Born into a Christian family she converted to Islam in
order to avoid execution but later reverted to Christianity[71]
Nunilo and Alodia - a pair of child martyrs from Huesca Born of a mixedmarriage they eschewed the Islam of their father in favour of their mothers
Christianity
O
Malika Oufkir - Moroccan writer daughter of General Mohamed Oufkir andformer prisoner of King Hassan II of Morocco
P
Shams Pahlavi - Iranian princess and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Shah of Iran[72]
Hamid Pourmand - Former Iranian army colonel and lay leader of the Jamaat-e
Rabbani the Iranian branch of the Assemblies of God church in Iran[73]
R
Abdul Rahman - Afghan convert to Christianity who escaped the death penalty
because of foreign pressure[74]
Stefan Razvan - Gypsy prince who ruled Moldavia for six months in 1595[75]
Emily Ruete - (born Sayyida Salme) Princess of Zanzibar and Oman[76][77][78]
Ibrahim Rugova - an Albanian politician who was the first President of Kosovo
and of its leading political party the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)
S
Nazli Sabri - Queen consort of Egypt[79][80]
Begum Samru - Powerful lady of north India ruling a large area from Sardhana Uttar Pradesh
[81]
James Scurry - a British soldier and statesman
Mohamed Aliacute Seineldiacuten - a former Argentine army colonel who participated in
two failed coup attempts against the democratically elected governments of bothPresident Raul Alfonsin and President Carlos Menem in 1988 and 1990[82]
Hakeem Seriki (AKA Chamillionaire) - American rapper[83][84]
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The Sibirsky family - The foremost of many Genghisid (Shaybanid) noblefamilies formerly living in Russia[85]
The Shihab family - prominent Lebanese noble family who originally belonged to
Sunni Islam and converted to Christianity at the end of the 18th century[86]
Walid Shoebat - American author and former member of the PLO[87]
Nasir Siddiki - Canadian evangelist author and business consultant
[88]
Amir Sjarifuddin - Indonesian socialist leader who later became the prime
minister of Indonesia during its National Revolution[9]
Skanderbeg - Albanian military leader Skanderbeg converted to Islam from
Christianity but reverted back to Christianity later in life[89]
Rudolf Carl von Slatin - Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in theSudan[90]
Hossein Soodmand - executed for apostasy Although born a Muslim by 1989
Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years
Patrick Sookhdeo - British Anglican canon[91]
T
Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal - Two Turkish Christian converts who went on
trial in 2006 on charges of allegedly insulting Turkishness and incitingreligious hatred against Islam[92]
Maria Temrjukovna - a Circassian princess and second wife to Ivan IV of Russia
who was born in a Muslim upbringing and baptised into the Russian OrthodoxChurch on August 21 1561[93]
Ghorban Tourani - Former Iranian Sunni Muslim who became a Christian
minister Following multiple murder threats he was abducted and murdered on
November 22 2005[94]
U
Utameshgaray of Kazan - Khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
W
George Weah - Liberian soccer player (from Christianity to Islam back to
Christianity)[95]
George Weah Jr - Liberian American footballer who plays for FC Wohlen[96]
Y
Mosab Hassan Yousef - son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity after
moving to the United States[97]
Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf - a Somali convert to Christianity[10]
Ramzi Yousef - Al Qaeda member and the main participant in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing and The Bojinka plot[98][99]
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
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From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
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Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
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Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
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Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
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The Sibirsky family - The foremost of many Genghisid (Shaybanid) noblefamilies formerly living in Russia[85]
The Shihab family - prominent Lebanese noble family who originally belonged to
Sunni Islam and converted to Christianity at the end of the 18th century[86]
Walid Shoebat - American author and former member of the PLO[87]
Nasir Siddiki - Canadian evangelist author and business consultant
[88]
Amir Sjarifuddin - Indonesian socialist leader who later became the prime
minister of Indonesia during its National Revolution[9]
Skanderbeg - Albanian military leader Skanderbeg converted to Islam from
Christianity but reverted back to Christianity later in life[89]
Rudolf Carl von Slatin - Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in theSudan[90]
Hossein Soodmand - executed for apostasy Although born a Muslim by 1989
Hossein had been a Christian for 25 years
Patrick Sookhdeo - British Anglican canon[91]
T
Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal - Two Turkish Christian converts who went on
trial in 2006 on charges of allegedly insulting Turkishness and incitingreligious hatred against Islam[92]
Maria Temrjukovna - a Circassian princess and second wife to Ivan IV of Russia
who was born in a Muslim upbringing and baptised into the Russian OrthodoxChurch on August 21 1561[93]
Ghorban Tourani - Former Iranian Sunni Muslim who became a Christian
minister Following multiple murder threats he was abducted and murdered on
November 22 2005[94]
U
Utameshgaray of Kazan - Khan of Kazan Khanate[27]
W
George Weah - Liberian soccer player (from Christianity to Islam back to
Christianity)[95]
George Weah Jr - Liberian American footballer who plays for FC Wohlen[96]
Y
Mosab Hassan Yousef - son of a Hamas leader converted to Christianity after
moving to the United States[97]
Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf - a Somali convert to Christianity[10]
Ramzi Yousef - Al Qaeda member and the main participant in the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing and The Bojinka plot[98][99]
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
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From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
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Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
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Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
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Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
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Z
Zaida of Seville - a refugee Muslim princess who was a mistress and then perhaps
queen of Alfonso VI of Castile
Saye Zerbo - President of the republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) [100]
From Judaism
The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some statistics on conversion of Jews to Protestantism
Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity (which it calls Greek Catholicism)[101]
Some 2000 European Jews converted to Christianity every year during the 19th centurybut in the 1890s the number was running closer to 3000 per year mdash 1000 in Austria
Hungary (Galizian Poland) 1000 in Russia (Poland Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania)
500 in Germany (Posen) and the remainder in the English world
The Apostle Paul - As a Pharisee (a Judaic leader) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy
of the Church and a persecutor of its believers A vision while travelling left him
temporarally blind and led him to be one of the most prominent Christians (Act
95) and author of many New Testament epistles[102]
Abd-al-Masih (martyr) - a convert martyred for his faith [103]
Michael Solomon Alexander - first Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem[104]
Petrus Alphonsi - physician in ordinary to King Alfonso VI of Castile[105]
Juan Alfonso de Baena - medieval Castilian troubadour[106]
Lovisa Augusti- opera singer and actress[107]
Eduard Bendemann - German painter[108]
Sir Julius Benedict - English composer
[108]
Leo de Benedicto Christiano - medieval financier[109]
Theodor Benfey - German philologist[108]
David Berkowitz - American serial killer [110]
Michael Bernays - German professor of literature[108]
Gottfried Bernhardy - German philologist and literary historian[108]
Ludwig Boumlrne - German political writer and satirist[108]
John Braham - English tenor opera star[108]
Moritz Wilhelm August Breidenbach - German jurist[108]
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim - German pathologist[108]
Isaac da Costa - Dutch language poet[108]
Abraham Capadose - Dutch physician and writer friend of Isaac da Costa
[108]
Carl Paul Caspari - Norwegian theologian[108]
Jehuda Cresques - Catalan cartographer[111]
Ferdinand David - German virtuoso violinist and composer[108]
Ludwig Dessoir - German actor[108]
Benjamin Disraeli - British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party inthe 19th century[112]
Alfred Doumlblin - German expressionist novelist[113]
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Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
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Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
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Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
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Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
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Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1720
From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1820
Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1920
Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 2020
Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1220
Bob Dylan - popular musician who converted to Christianity in 1979[114]
He laterbegan studying with Chabad a branch of Hasidic Judaism[115] though his current
religious affiliation is uncertain See also information on Dylans Conversion to
Christianity Born-again period and Religious beliefs
Alfred Edersheim - Biblical scholar[108]
Rachel Felix - French-Swiss theatre actress
[108]
Pero Ferruacutes - Castilian poet[116]
Achille Fould - French financier and politician[108]
Jacob Frank - 18th century Jewish reformer[117]
Heinrich von Friedberg - German jurist and statesman[118]
Ludwig Friedlaumlnder - German philologist[108]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum - Founder of Ariel Ministries [119]
Eduard Gans - German philosopher and jurist exponent of the conservative Right
Hegelians[120]
Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt - German astronomer and painter[108]
Heinrich Heine - German writer[108]
Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle - German physician pathologist and anatomist
[108]
Jorge Isaacs - Colombian writer politician and soldier
[121]
Heinrich Jacoby - German educator[108]
Georg Jellinek - German legal philosopher[122]
Paul S L Johnson - American scholar and pastor[123]
David Kalisch - German playwright and humorist[108]
Felix Philipp Kanitz - Austro-Hungarian naturalist geographer ethnographer
archaeologist and author of travel notes[124]
Andrew Klavan - filmaker and novelist [125]
Leopold Kronecker - German mathematician and logician[108]
Hermann Lebert - German physician[108]
Karl Lehrs - German classical scholar[126]
Osip Mikhailovich Lerner - 19th century Russian intellectual and lawyer[127]
Fanny Lewald - German author[108]
Tsaritsa Theodora of Bulgaria - Wife of tsar Ivan Alexander tsaritsa in the late
Second Bulgarian Empire
Jean-Marie Lustiger- Cardinal former Archbishop of Paris [128]
Heinrich Gustav Magnus - German chemist and physicist[108]
Ludwig Immanuel Magnus - German mathematician[108]
Gustav Mahler - Composer (1860 ndash 1911)[129]
Hugh Montefiore - Anglican Bishop of Birmingham from 1977 to 1987
Robert Moses - politician and master builder of 20th century New York City
Felix Mendelssohn - composer (1809 ndash 1847)[108]
Karl Friedrich Neumann - German orientalist[108]
Robert Novak - Raised in secular Jewish culture[130] he converted to Catholicism
in May 1998 after his prolific career as a journalist columnist and political
commentator[131]
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer - South African businessman[132]
Francis Palgrave - English historian[108]
Corey Pavin - PGA golfer[133]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1320
Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1420
Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1520
Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1620
Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1720
From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1820
Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1920
Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 2020
Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1320
Johannes Pfefferkorn - German theologian and writer[108]
Friedrich Adolf Philippi - German Lutheran theologian[108]
Howard Phillips - Prominent American conservative leader and former
presidential candidate
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Italian librettist[108]
Harry Reems - Adult film actor
[134]
David Ricardo - English political economist[108]
Hyman Rickover - a former admiral in USA navy
Gillian Rose - British philosopher and sociologist[135]
Moishe Rosen mdash Founder of Jews for Jesus[136]
Anton Rubinstein mdash Russian pianist composer and conductor[108]
Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky mdash Episcopal Bishop of Shanghai founder
of Saint Johns University Shanghai bible translator[137]
Martin Eduard von Simson mdash German jurist and politician[108]
Dan Spitz - lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax[138]
Friedrich Julius Stahl mdash Prussian jurist and conservative thinker[108]
Edith Stein - Nun martyr saint
[139]
Siegbert Tarrasch mdash Challenger for the World Chess Championship
[140]
Mordechai Vanunu mdash considered a whistle-blower on Israels nuclear programme
who was subsequently kidnapped tried and imprisoned by Israel[141]
Rahel Varnhagen (born Rahel Levin) - writer and saloniste[142]
Simone Weil mdash French philosopher and activist [143]
Otto Weininger mdash Austrian philosopher[144]
Joseph Wolff mdash German missionary[108]
Sir Moses Ximenes mdash 18th century English merchant[108]
David Levy Yulee - United States Senator from Florida[145]
Efrem Zimbalist Jr - American actor[146][147][148]
Israel Zolli - former Chief Rabbi of Rome[149]
From Rastafari movement
Bob Marley - Jamaican reggae singer[150][151]
Judy Mowatt - Jamaican reggae singer [152]
Papa San - Jamaican reggae singer [153]
From Dharmic religions
From Buddhism
David Yonggi Cho - Korean Christian leader Senior Pastor of the Yoido Full
Gospel Church[154]
Mitsuo Fuchida - Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Captain noted forinvolvement in the attack on Pearl Harbor He later became a Christian
evangelist[155][156]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1420
Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1520
Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1620
Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1720
From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1820
Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1920
Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 2020
Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1420
Jaruvan Maintaka - Auditor-General (Thai ) of the Kingdom of
Thailand[157]
Chieko N Okazaki - Relief Society counselor (convert to The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints)[158]
Talduwe Somarama - Former Buddhist monk and assassin[159]
Charlie Soong - Chinese missionary[160]
Paul Williams - a professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol
England Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted
to Roman Catholicism[161]
From Hinduism
Y_S_Rajasekhara_Reddy - Former CM of Andhra Pradesh
Tal Brooke ( former follower of Sathya Sai Baba)- Christian apologist[162]
Jayasudha - South Indian actress[163]
Sister Nirmala - succeeded Mother Teresa as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity in March 1997[164]
Pandita Ramabai - Indian Social Reformer[165]
Krishna Pal - First Indian convert to Christianity due to the missionary activity of William Carey Subsequently preached the gospel for 20 years before his passing
[34]
Ramesh Ponuru - Writer and Editor for conservative magazine National Review [166]
Michael Madhusudan Dutt - Great Bengali poet [35]
Gnanendramohan Tagore - First Asian to be called to the bar in England
Krishna Mohan Banerjee - Prominent educator linguist and missionary Lal Behari Dey - Highly respected Bengali journalist and writer author of the
award-winning tract The falsity of the Hindu Religion
Anak Agung Pandji Tisna - A novelist writer former king of Buleleng Bali [167]
Rabi Maharaj - Former Brahmin guru Founder of EastWest Gospel Ministries
and bestselling author of Death of a Guru A Remarkable True Story of one Mans
Search for Trut h[168] [36]
Bobby Jindal - Current Louisiana governor[169]
From Sikhism
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley - Member of the South Carolina House of
Representatives and current candidate for Governor of South Carolina [170]
Bakht Singh - Indian Christian [171]
Duleep Singh - Maharajah of Punjab (later re-initiated into Sikhism in 1886)[172]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1520
Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1620
Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1720
From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1820
Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1920
Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 2020
Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1520
Gurmit Singh - Singaporean actor of Indian Chinese and Japanese decent knownfor his role in Phua Chu Kang as the title character
Sadhu Sundar Singh - Indian Christian [173]
Other
From agnosticism or atheism
Steve Beren - Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who
became a Christian conservative politician[174]
Anders Borg - Swedens Minister for Finance[175]
Kirk Cameron - Actor star of Growing Pains (former atheist)[176]
Bruce Cockburn - Canadian folkrock guitarist and singersongwriter (former
agnostic)[177]
Francis Collins - physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
(former atheist)[178] Larry Flynt - American publisher and pornographer briefly converted under the
auspice of Ruth Carter Stapleton[179]
Joy Gresham - American writer and wife of CS Lewis (former atheist)[180]
Anna Haycraft - Raised in Auguste Comtes atheistic church of humanity but
became a conservative Catholic in adulthood[181]
Ignace Lepp - French psychiatrist whose parents were freethinkers and who joined the Communist party at age fifteen He broke with the party in 1937 and
eventually became a Catholic priest[182]
Feacutelix Leseur - Doctor turned priest His conversion in part came by efforts of his
wife who was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church[183]
Khang Khek Leu (also known as Comrade Duch) - Cambodian director of PhnomPenhs infamous Tuol Sleng detention center[184]
CS Lewis - Oxford professor and writer well known for The Chronicles of
Narnia series and for his apologetic Mere Christianity[185]
Gabriel Marcel - French philosopher and playwright (former agnostic)[186]
Norma McCorvey - Jane Roe in Roe v Wade[187]
Alister McGrath - Biochemist and Christian theologian Founder of Scientifictheology and critic of Richard Dawkins in his book Dawkins God Genes
Memes and the Meaning of Life [188]
Czesław Miłosz - Nobel prize winning poet
Nina Karin Monsen - a Norwegian moral philosopher and author who grew up in
a humanist family but later convert to Christianity through philosophicthinking
[189]
Lacey Mosley - Vocalist and lyricist for Alternative metal band Flyleaf [190]
William J Murray - author and son of atheist activist Madalyn Murray OHair[191]
Bernard Nathanson Medical doctor who was a founding member of NARAL laterbecoming a Pro-Life proponent[192]
Marvin Olasky - Former Marxist turned Christian conservative he edits the
Christian World magazine[193][194]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1620
Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1720
From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1820
Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1920
Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 2020
Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1620
Enoch Powell - Conservative Party (UK) member who converted toAnglicanism[195]
George R Price - Geneticist who became an Evangelical Christian and wrote
about the New Testament Later he moderated his evangelistic tendencies andswitched from religious writing to working with the homeless[196][197]
Anne Rice - author of Interview with the Vampire
[198]
Dame Cicely Saunders - Templeton Prize and Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian
Prize winning nurse known for palliative care She converted to Christianity as ayoung woman[199]
Edith Stein - Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and
became a Discalced Carmelite nun declared a saint by John Paul II[200]
Peter Steele - Lead singer of Type O Negative[201]
Lee Strobel - Author of The Case for Christ (former atheist)[202]
Allen Tate - American poet essayist and social commentator and Poet LaureateConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress[203]
Evelyn Waugh - British writer (former agnostic)[204]
Fay Weldon - British novelist and feminist
[205]
Monty White - British Young Earth Creationist (former atheist)
[206]
John C Wright - Science fiction author[207]
Nicko McBrain - Michael Henry best known as Nicko McBrain drummer for
Iron Maiden heavy metal band
From Cao Dai
Phan Thị Kim Phuacutec - Subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Nick
Ut
[208]
she now heads a fund for children victims of war
[209]
From Confucianism
Note It is debated whether Confucianism is a religion and some Confucians who became
Christians considered themselves to remain Confucian in philosophy
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society forScience and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largely
retained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1720
From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1820
Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1920
Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 2020
Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1720
From Paganism
Paganism is a term which from a Western perspective has come to connote a broad set
of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion and of historical and
contemporary polytheistic religions in particular
While the term has historically been used to denote adherents of any non-Abrahamic
faith for the purposes of this list only adherents of non-major polytheistic shamanistic
pantheistic or animistic religions will be listed in this section
Aebbe the Elder - Scottish monastic founder[214]
Saint Alban - first Christian martyr in Britain[215]
Saint Apollonius - 2nd century Roman Senator Christian apologist and
martyr[216]
Charles Atangana - paramount chief of the Ewondo and Bane ethnic groups inCameroon first Ewondo to be baptised[217]
Francis Arinze - Nigerian Roman Catholic cardinal[218]
Athenagoras of Athens - philosopher and early Christian apologist[219]
Saint Barbara - Orthodox Christian martyr[103]
Saint Bavo - eremitic monk who lived during the Dark Ages[220]
Borivoj I of Bohemia - Duke of Bohemia (852853 - 888889)[221]
Feacutelix Houphoueumlt-Boigny - first President of Cocircte dIvoire
Boris I of Bulgaria - Bulgarian ruler and monk [222]
Pertinax of Byzantium - Bishop of Byzantium from 169 until his death in 187[223]
Cenwalh of Wessex - King of Wessex[224]
Clovis I - early king of the Franks[225]
Coelia Concordia - last Roman Vestal Virgin[226]
Commodianus - Latin poet first practiced Judaism and later converted toChristianity[227]
Constantine I (the Great) - Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity in the
Edict of Milan in 313[228]
Constantine of Cornwall - 6th century king of Dumnonia[citation needed ]
Saint Constantine of Strathclyde - King of Strathclyde and later abbot of
Rahan[229]
Samuel Ajayi Crowther - first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria[230]
Cynegils - Anglo-Saxon king of the West Saxons[231]
Saint Cyriacus - early Christian saint[232]
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite - judge of the Areopagus and early Bishop of
Athens
[233]
Raedwald of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from about AD 599 to about AD
625[234]
Sigeberht of East Anglia - King of East Anglia from AD 631 to 634[235]
Leif Ericson - Icelandic Viking explorer[236]
Saint Eustace - early Christian who was martyred with his family in a brazenbull[237]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1820
Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1920
Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 2020
Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1820
Evodius - early Bishop of Antioch who (according to tradition) first called thedisciples of Christ Christians[238]
Gaius Marius Victorinus - Roman philosopher[239]
Gelelemend - A prominent Lenape convert to the Moravian Church
Riderch Hael - King of Strathclyde who established the first See of Strathclyde at
Glasgow
[240]
Hone Heke - Māori chief and war leader in New Zealand[241]
Honoratus - former Archbishop of Arles[242]
Horapollo - leader of the few remaining pagan schools of Menouthis during
Emperor Zenos reign (474-491) who converted to Christianity after being
tortured[243]
Jogaila - former King of Poland[244]
Saint Julius the Veteran - early Christian martyr[245]
Queen Kaʻahumanu - Hawaiian monarch wife of Kamehameha I[246]
Helen Kalvak - Inuit artist from Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories Canada[247]
Ethelbert of Kent - King of Kent[248]
Jomo Kenyatta - first Prime Minister and President of Kenya[249]
Vladimir I of Kiev - Grand Prince of Kiev
[250]
Guthrum of East Anglia - King of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw[251]
Lactantius - early Christian author[252]
Saint Ludmila - Orthodox Christian saint and martyr[253]
Bernard Mizeki - African Christian missionary and martyr[254]
Justin Martyr - early Christian apologist[255]
Peada of Mercia - King of southern Mercia helped found the monastery at
Peterborough[256]
Tāmati Wāka Nene - Māori chief who fought as an ally of the British in the
Flagstaff War[257]
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba - Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in the 16thcentury[258]
Leonard of Noblac - Frankish noble in the court of Clovis I[259]
Rollo of Normandy - Founder of Viking province of Normandy[260]
Samson Occom - Mohegan minister[261]
Edwin of Northumbria - King of Deira and Bernicia[citation needed ]
Saint Olaf - King of Norway[262]
Pancras of Rome - early Roman Christian martyr[263]
Saint Pantaleon (Panteleimon) - early Christian physician and martyr[264]
Pocahontas - Native American celebrity in 17th century London[265]
Polycarp - early Christian bishop[266]
Rabbula - early Bishop of Edessa[267]
Ranavalona II - Queen of Madagascar[268]
Rorik of Dorestad - Danish Viking leader[269]
Rumwold - legendary infant saint[270]
Sabinian of Troyes - Christian martyr[271]
Joseph Shabalala - lead singer founder and musical director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo[272]
Tertullian - Church leader and author
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1920
Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 2020
Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 1920
Theophilus of Antioch - early Patriarch of Antioch[273]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal - Parental cousin of Khadija Prophet Muhammads first
wife[274]
Hong Sa-ik - a Korean-Japanese World War II General who was executed for war
crimes after the war
[210]
Heup Young Kim - Theologian and member of the International Society for
Science and Religion[211]
Nakamura Masanao - Member of the Meirokusha who was baptized largelyretained the Confucian ideals that were compatible with Christianity[212]
Xi Shengmo - Chinese Christian leader[213]
From Manichaeism
St Augustine of Hippo[275]
From Satanism
Bartolo Longo - Italian satanic priest who converted to Catholicism became a lay
Dominican and founded a lay prayer society On October 26 1980 he wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II who called him the Apostle of the Rosary and
mentioned him specifically in his encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae(The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
Jeffrey Dahmer - American serial killer and cannibal Dahmer dabbled inSatanism before his arrest
[276] but later converted to Christianity while in
prison[277]
Sean Sellers - American murderer[278]
From Zoroastrianism
Mar Abba I Metropolitan bishop and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East[103]
Undetermined former religion
Jin Au-Yeung - a Chinese-American hip hop rapper songwriter and actor
Became a born again Christian in 2008[279]
Spencer Chamberlain - Lead vocalist of the Christian metalcore band Underoath
was not raised in a religious home[280]
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 2020
Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157
862019 List of People Who Converted to Christianity
httpslidepdfcomreaderfulllist-of-people-who-converted-to-christianity 2020
Tony Fontane - popular recording artist in the 1940s and 1950s[281]
Reneacute Girard - philosophical anthropologist[282]
Brian Welch former Korn guitarist and current Contemporary Christian music
singer and guitarist
Neal Morse Progressive Rock Musician
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden drummer
Notes and references
1 ^ The Numbers FastestGrowingReligioncom2 ^ Six Million African Muslims Convert to Christianity Each Year
OrthodoxyTodayorg May 6 2006
3 ^ a b Collected Papers in Greek And Georgian Textual Criticism pg 174[1] January 8th Saints
4 ^ a b Egypt Christian convert from Islam jailed - Compass Direct News October18 2006
5 ^ a b Friedman Lisa Ex-Muslim calls on her people to reject hatred Los
Angeles Daily News 5 June 2005 (reproduced)
6 ^ a b Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
7 ^ a b [2] 8 ^ a b Pope baptizes one of Italys most prominent Muslims at Easter vigil service
9 ^ a b Vickers (2005) page 86
10 ^ a b c d e f Compass Direct News
11 ^ Former terrorist trades weapons for olive branch 12 ^ Michael Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints East and West Liturgical Press
2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X Google Print p 3 13 ^ Holweck F G (1924) A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St Louis B
Herder Book Co p 84
14 ^ A History of Orthodox Missions Among the Muslims Yurij MaximovRussian author and religious studies teacher in the Religious Studies at the
Moscow Orthodox Seminary
httpwwworthodoxytodayorgarticles4MaximovMuslimsshtml Retrieved2007-08-17
15 ^ Joseph Patrich The Sabaite Heritage in the Orthodox Church Peeters
Publishers 2001 ISBN 90-429-0976-5 Google Print p 157