Back to series
Conversion, How And Why We Turn To God
Crisis. A simple momentarily crisis. That is how a significant part of the evangelical world encourages us to think about conversion. And sometimes, of course, it happens that way, outside as well as inside revivalistic circles. Think of Augustine hearing a child say, "Take up and Read," picking up the Bible and seeing Roman 13:13 , and never being the same again.
But our turning to God is better understood as a complex process. Indeed, we often refer to conversion as a single act of turning in the same way we speak of consuming several dishes and drinks as a single act of dining. Even Augustine's dramatic conversation was preceded by years of seeking. A process is at work, whether or not our conversations culminates in a crisis afterward remembered as "the hour I first believed" This involves thinking and rethinking; doubting and overcoming doubts, soul-searching and self-admonition; wrestling with feelings of guilt and shame; and assaying what following Christ might mean...
Click here to read the full prayer (READ PDF).
![](https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/David-F-Wells_headshot_350.jpg)
David F. Wells
TheologianDavid F. Wells, is a Christian theologian and an ordained Congregational minister. He is the Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of historical and systematic theology at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts. He joined the faculty at Gordon-Conwell full-time in 1979. Wells has taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and served as the Academic Dean at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Charlotte, North Carolina campus. He has a ThM from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, a PhD from the University of Manchester, and post-doctoral Research Fellow from Yale Divinity School. Wells is the author of several books which include No Place for Truth: or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? and The Person of Christ: A Biblical and Historical Analysis of the Incarnation.
![](/wp-content/uploads/BUTTON-Explore-Resources-v2-151-x-615-300x74.png)
Notice: This material is made available for limited use to participants of the C.S. Lewis Institute Fellows programs. Please do not reproduce any of the materials in the Fellows Resources other than for your personal use.
-
Recent Podcasts
The Side B Stories – Nate Sala’s Story
by Jana Harmon, Nate Sala on July 19, 2024Nate Sala rejected his parents’ faith tradition of...Read More
-
Terrorism Through the Eyes of Faith
by Dennis Hollinger on July 12, 2024
-
The Side B Stories – Melanie Beerda’s Story
by Melanie Beerda on July 5, 2024
-
Recent Publications
Hasn’t Science Proven That Belief in God Is an Outdated Superstition?
by Sharon Dirckx on July 1, 2024Many assume that scientific practice and belief in...Read More
-
Has the Bible Been Corrupted as Some Muslims Claim?
by Andy Bannister on June 1, 2024
-
Seeing Jesus Through the Eyes of Women
by Rebecca McLaughlin on May 15, 2024
0
All Booked
0.00
All Booked
0.00
All Booked
21581
GLOBAL EVENT: Conformed to His Image Study Course (Chicago) 6:30 PM CT
https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/?event=local-event-conformed-to-his-image-study-course-chicago&event_date=2024-07-25®=1
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr
2024-07-25
![](https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Conformed-to-His-Image-Summer-2024-640-x-360.jpg)
Next coming event
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
GLOBAL EVENT: Conformed to His Image Study Course (Chicago) 6:30 PM CT
On July 25, 2024 at 6:30 pmCategories
Speakers
David F. Wells
Theologian
Team Members
![](https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/David-F-Wells_headshot_350.jpg)
David F. Wells
TheologianDavid F. Wells, is a Christian theologian and an ordained Congregational minister. He is the Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of historical and systematic theology at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts. He joined the faculty at Gordon-Conwell full-time in 1979. Wells has taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and served as the Academic Dean at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Charlotte, North Carolina campus. He has a ThM from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, a PhD from the University of Manchester, and post-doctoral Research Fellow from Yale Divinity School. Wells is the author of several books which include No Place for Truth: or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? and The Person of Christ: A Biblical and Historical Analysis of the Incarnation.
![](/wp-content/uploads/BUTTON-Explore-Resources-v2-151-x-615-300x74.png)