Proselytism | Meaning & Concept [Explained]

We explain what proselytism is, the origin of the term and its various meanings. Furthermore, religious and political proselytism.

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What is proselytism?

proselytism is the act of trying to convince others to convert to a religion or adopt a point of view through preaching, oratory and different argumentative and discursive strategies.

This term is derived from the word proselytesynonymous with adept, follower or convert. The Jews used it in biblical antiquity for those foreigners who adopted their religion.

It comes from Greek proselytes“newly arrived (in a foreign country)”, but it came to Spanish through ecclesiastical Latin (proselytus), used in the Middle Ages as a synonym for “newly converted”, that is, those who had recently adopted the Christian religion. So proselytism was the effort to get new proselytes for one's religion or one's own point of view.

Thus, although the term proselytism is not exclusive to Christianity, it is very present in its history, given that this religion considers evangelization a commandment, that is, imparting the doctrine of the Christian gospels to anyone who professes a different religion, or does not. have none.

However, a distinction is often made between evangelization and proselytism, since the latter has negative connotations, that is, it is often considered a conversion through fallacious, insincere, deceitful or manipulative strategies.

In everyday language, proselytism is considered a form of propaganda or unfair ideologization. more committed to swelling the ranks of the followers of one's own cause in any way, than to the debate around the truth and the legitimate conviction of a third party regarding our point of view. In this way, the negative connotation predominates.

religious proselytism

Religious proselytism is very common, not only in Christian churches, which consider part of their religious duties to “spread the word.”

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In fact, Most faiths consider it legitimate when it consists of gaining followers through purely spiritual conviction. that is, limiting itself to what the religion itself proposes and the arguments it uses to support its world vision. This is known, as we said before, as “preaching”, “conversion” or, in Christianity, “evangelization”.

Instead, It is condemned when it is carried out through accusations of other cults, or the use of moral, physical or verbal coercion. . It is also considered deceptive when it resorts to the offer of economic, social or political powers and benefits, that is, resorting to anything that is not strictly from the mystical and spiritual realm.

In these latter cases, the majority of churches condemn proselytism, considering it an unfair practice between the different existing cults, contrary to the ecumenical spirit and religious tolerance.

Political proselytism

In the world of politics, proselytism has negative connotations. Political proselytism consists, logically, in gaining followers for a political cause through practices considered “unfair” : promises, bribes, false accusations, among others, that move away from the healthy exercise of politics, which should be that of the objective exchange of ideas and proposals.

proselytism is condemned and punished in different legislations in some cases legally and juridically, in others only from a moral point of view. It all depends on where the limit is drawn between tolerable practices and those considered unfair or demagogic.