A growing number of converts to various forms of Protestantism in France come from Catholic backgrounds, reflecting broader societal shifts in religious attachment, writes Claire Bernole in the French Catholic weekly La Vie (April 3). According to an Ifop survey published in January, 25 percent of French Protestants were not born into Protestant families, with a majority being former Catholics (72 percent, compared with 59 percent in 2010). Whether seeking intellectual freedom in Lutheran-Reformed churches or emotional connection in evangelical communities, these converts are responding to perceived shortcomings in Catholic institutional structures and practices. Reasons range from a perceived lack of understanding to views on divorced people and LGBTQ+ individuals. Many converts describe feeling unsupported by Catholic institution at crucial moments in their lives. Their journeys highlight how contemporary religious identity is increasingly shaped by personal needs and experiences rather than traditional denominational boundaries. Converts to traditional Protestant denominations (Lutheran and Reformed) come from higher cultural and educational backgrounds, feeling attracted to the invitation to subjective reflection and appreciative of pastors who accompany rather than dictate. They are seeking freedom from dogma and the tension between personal convictions and official church positions.
Converts to evangelical congregations are often drawn by the emotional dimension of worship, inspirational messages, and warm relationships within the community. Transformations in French Protestantism also ought to be considered. A minister from the United Protestant Church of France found out that, in the 1950s, 19 out of 20 marriages in his parish were between two Protestants, but since 2000, it is only 1 in 20. A minister working in a French megachurch observes that, for the first time, his church has a minority of members born into evangelical families (it was 70 percent originally). But he notes that many “neo-Christians” attend multiple different churches, treating them as “places of consumption rather than communities,” and so cautions against concluding that French Protestantism is growing significantly. The article also notes a small but not insignificant number of Catholics who attend Protestant (often Lutheran) parishes while choosing not to officially change their religious affiliation.
(La Vie, https://www.lavie.fr/)
