Change in personality traits due to religious conversion

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Big Five personality traits

The Big Five personality traits change due to a person becoming more mature, efforts to change the personality traits or a major life change (See: Neuroplasticity and the ability of individuals to change their personality).

The Big Five personality traits are: conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism (See also: Emotional stability) and openness.[1][2] While other traits exist, these are thought to define a large part of individuality.

Personality changes due to religious conversion

See also: Conversion

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." - Matthew 3:1-2 (NRSV)

Jesus Christ also said: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:38-40 NRSV). In addition, the Bible says to be holy and zealous in good works and to not be lukewarm (Revelation 3:16).

As far as the New Testament, according to the Greek Orthodox Diocese of America:

“ The Greek term for repentance, metanoia, denotes a change of mind, a reorientation, a fundamental transforma­tion of outlook, of man's vision of the world and of himself, and a new way of loving others and God. In the words of a second-century text, The Shepherd of Hermas, it implies "great understanding," discernment. It involves, that is, not mere regret of past evil but a recognition by man of a dar­kened vision of his own condition, in which sin, by sepa­rating him from God, has reduced him to a divided, auto­nomous existence, depriving him of both his natural glory and freedom. "Repentance," says Basil the Great, "is salvation, but lack of understanding is the death of repentance."[3] ”

Repentance is primarily a change of the heart and mind,[4] or rather a change in the mind (Greek metanoia—meta "change" + noia "mind"); a personal metamorphosis. This is what repentance means in the context of salvation: Luke 13:1-5 "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Jesus is telling the people they need to change the way they think. In this context, a change of mind represents also a reversal of one's previous moral judgment, a repudiation of one's previous behavior.[4] There is a command to believe: "Repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15). How can anyone believe in Christ if they don't change their thinking? No one naturally sees themselves as a sinner; when you repent, you know and realize you're a sinner. You change from thinking "I'm a basically good person." to "I'm a sinner; I need Jesus." That is the third definition of repentance. "Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." John 5:14. "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." John 8:11. "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance" Matthew 3:8. (See Corporal and spiritual works of mercy.)

Repentance is a turning away, to cease. Example: Revelation 2:16 "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."

"A bell curve, also known as a normal distribution, is a symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that represents the distribution of data in statistics. Standard deviations measure the spread or dispersion of data points around the mean (average) of a normal distribution. In a normal distribution, roughly 68% of the data falls within one standard deviation of the mean, 95% within two standard deviations, and 99.7% within three standard deviations."[5]

Personality changes due to religious conversion:

“ Religious conversion is one of the life events most strongly associated with personality change, because it often reshapes someone’s identity, daily habits, values, and social world. But the magnitude of change is usually not unlimited—it tends to be moderate rather than extreme, and uneven across the Big Five traits.

Average change: Studies suggest that religious conversion or increased religiosity is associated with about 0.3 to 0.7 standard deviations of change in certain traits over time.

Maximum documented change: In rare, profound cases (e.g., dramatic “born-again” conversions or entry into highly structured religious orders), people can shift by 1+ standard deviation on some traits, but that’s exceptional.[6]

”

There is a significant amount of historical and scientific evidence that Bible reading has greatly increased human flourishing such as people's physical health, psychological well-being, character and virtue, and social connections (See: Bible reading and human flourishing).

Big Five personality traits

Religion and specific changes in the Big Five personality by individual traits

"The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion." - Proverbs 28:1 (NASB)

See also: Spiritual growth and Empathy and Humility and Forgiveness and Love and Compassion and Emotional stability and Conscientiousness and Courage and Agreeableness

"Personality research suggests that traits can shift about 0.25–0.75 standard deviations across major life events (marriage, parenthood, career changes, etc.). A deep, transformative conversion could move conscientiousness upward by roughly half a standard deviation, which is a meaningful but not radical change."[9]

"In traditions emphasizing evangelism, testimony, or public worship (e.g., Pentecostalism, evangelical Christianity, some forms of Buddhism), converts may increase in extraverted behaviors because participation requires speaking, sharing experiences, and being socially active. Research evidence: Longitudinal studies on personality change suggest that religious conversion can lead to small but measurable increases in extraversion, especially when the community aspect of the religion is strong. However, the typical shift is modest—on the order of about 0.2 to 0.3 standard deviations, not a dramatic personality overhaul. Indirect effects: Conversions that boost self-confidence, reduce social anxiety, or encourage more communal participation can functionally raise extraverted behaviors even if the person’s core trait level doesn’t shift hugely."[10]

"Studies suggest that people who undergo a sincere religious conversion often report increases in prosocial qualities like forgiveness, empathy, compassion, and cooperation — core aspects of agreeableness. This is partly because many religions strongly emphasize love of neighbor, humility, and moral concern for others. On average, a religious conversion may lead to a small-to-moderate increase in agreeableness, usually less than 0.3–0.5 standard deviations. The effect is strongest when the new faith emphasizes compassion, humility, and social harmony."[11] See also: Intellectual humility and Works (theology) and The Triumph of the Gospel of Love by Monk Themistocles (Adamopoulo)

"For neuroticism specifically, conversions associated with strong community support, purpose, and coping resources may lower it by around 0.3–0.6 SDs (a moderate but meaningful change)".[12]

What research suggests about religious conversion and emotional stability

See also: Religious conversion and emotional stability and Emotional stability and Emotional health and Christian's position in Christ and identity and Neuroticism and Anxiety

A dove carrying an olive branch is a symbol of hope, peace, and renewal. The image appears in the Bible and in Christian art and iconography.

Jesus Christ said: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27 ESV).

The Bible says to put one's trust in God and not in man (Jeremiah 17:5). A little over 100 times the Bible says to fear not (Or some variation of those words).[13]

What research suggests about religious conversion and emotional stability:

“ Most personality traits are moderately stable across adulthood (correlations of ~0.6–0.8 across decades). Large shifts (over 1 SD) are rare, except in cases of major life events, trauma, or identity-transforming experiences.

Religious conversion—especially radical or sudden ones—can function as such an “identity quake.” But studies show that while religiousness is linked to lower neuroticism / higher emotional stability on average, the effect sizes are usually modest (0.2–0.4 SD), not massive leaps.

Case-level exceptions exist: for individuals whose conversion alleviates extreme anxiety, addiction, or despair, emotional stability could plausibly increase by 0.5–1.0 SD. But that is at the high end and not typical.

Longitudinal studies of converts often show short-term boosts in stability and well-being that may plateau, rather than continuous large gains.

Approximate range:

Typical radical conversion: +0.2 to +0.5 SD improvement in emotional stability.

Exceptional cases (transformative, life-saving conversions): up to +1 SD shift.

Beyond that, evidence is scarce; permanent changes larger than 1 SD are very rare in personality research.[14]

”

For more information, please see: Christian's position in Christ (Relates to the "Identity quake" mentioned above)

Holy Spirit, lower neuroticism and antifragility

See also: Holy Spirit and Antifragility and Suffering and Perseverance and Virtue and Character and Hope

The Gospel Coalition article The Gospel Makes Us Antifragile states:

“ In his book Antifragile, author Nassim Nicholas Taleb observes that some objects are naturally fragile, like glass or fine china, and some are naturally resilient, like rubber or Tupperware. But there’s another category he labels “antifragile.” Just as the immune system becomes stronger when exposed to the normal circulation of viruses and bacteria, so some objects become better under stress.

What Taleb describes is similar to what Paul writes about in Romans 5: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (vv. 3–4). Suffering is the stress, and a persevering character full of hope is a description of Spirit-filled antifragility.[15]

”

Article:

Personality trait of openness and the Holy Spirit

See also: Sanctification and Argument from beauty

Personality trait of openness and the Holy Spirit:

In the Bible, a dove is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit.[16]

Does the Holy Spirit increase the personality trait of openness?

"In psychology, openness to experience (in the Big Five model) refers to traits like imagination, curiosity, receptiveness to new ideas, and appreciation for art and novelty. The Holy Spirit, in Christian theology, is understood as God’s active presence transforming believers’ character and perception.

"Theological view: Many Christians would say the Holy Spirit opens a person’s heart and mind—removing spiritual blindness, increasing receptivity to God’s guidance, and making people more willing to embrace new callings or perspectives. This sounds similar to psychological openness, though directed toward spiritual realities rather than novelty in general.

Psychological research: Studies of religious conversion and spirituality show that experiences people interpret as encounters with the Holy Spirit can shift personality traits, but the effect is not uniform. Some find themselves more curious, tolerant, and imaginative (higher openness), while others may become more structured and focused (sometimes reducing openness). The change depends on the person’s background, tradition, and how they integrate their spiritual experience."[17]

Journal articles

Bible reading and human flourishing

See also: Bible reading and human flourishing

There is a significant amount of historical and scientific evidence that Bible reading has greatly increased human flourishing such as people's physical health, psychological well-being, character and virtue, and social connections (See: Bible reading and human flourishing).

Resources on becoming a Christian

External links

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Big Five Personality traits
  2. ↑ What are the Big Five Personality Traits?
  3. ↑ Repentance and Confession - Introduction, Greek Orthodox Diocese of America
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 David W. Gooding & John C. Lennox (2013 (1st Edition 1997)). "8.Repentance", Key Bible Concepts. The Myrtlefield Trust, 65–73. ISBN 978-1-874584-45-2. “The very first public announcement by Christ was this:...” 
  5. ↑ Normal bell curve and standard deviations
  6. ↑ How big of personality changes are possible via religious conversion?
  7. ↑ The Big Five Personality traits
  8. ↑ What are the Big Five Personality Traits?
  9. ↑ How much does a religious conversion affect the personality trait of conscientiousness?
  10. ↑ How much does a religious conversion affect the personality trait of extraversion?
  11. ↑ How much does a religious conversion affect the personality trait of agreeableness?
  12. ↑ How much does a religious conversion affect the personality trait of neuroticism?
  13. ↑ How many times does the Bible say not to fear?
  14. ↑ How many standard deviation points does radical religious conversion make on emotional stability?
  15. ↑ The Gospel Makes Us Antifragile, Gospel Coalition website
  16. ↑ Why Is the Dove Often a Symbol for the Holy Spirit?, Christianity.com
  17. ↑ Does the Holy Spirit increase the personality trait of openness?
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