Category:Conversion

Con*ver"sion, n. Etym: [L. conversio: cf. F. conversion. See Convert.]

1. The act of turning or changing from one state or condition to another, or the state of being changed; transmutation; change. Artificial conversion of water into ice. Bacon. The conversion of the aliment into fat. Arbuthnot.

2. The act of changing one's views or course, as in passing from one side, party, or from of religion to another; also, the state of being so changed. "Conversion to Christianity." Prescott.

3. (Law)

Defn: An appropriation of, and dealing with the property of another as if it were one's own, without right; as, the conversion of a horse. Or bring my action of conversion And trover for my goods. Hudibras.

4. (Logic)

Defn: The act of interchanging the terms of a proposition, as by putting the subject in the place of the predicate, or the contrary.

5. (Math.)

Defn: A change or reduction of the form or value of a proposition; as, the conversion of equations; the conversion of proportions.

6. (Mil.) (a) A change of front, as a body of troops attacked in the flank. (b) A change of character or use, as of smoothbore guns into rifles.

7. (Theol.)

Defn: A spiritual and moral change attending a change of belief with conviction; a change of heart; a change from the service of the world to the service of God; a change of the ruling disposition of the soul, involving a transformation of the outward life. He oft Frequented their assemblies,. . . and to them preached Conversion and repentance, as to souls In prison under judgments imminent. Milton.

- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Conversion - The turning of a sinner to God (Acts 15:3). In a general sense the heathen are said to be "converted" when they abandon heathenism and embrace the Christian faith; and in a more special sense men are converted when, by the influence of divine grace in their souls, their whole life is changed, old things pass away, and all things become new (Acts 26:18). Thus we speak of the conversion of the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:19-34), of Paul (Acts 9:1-22), of the Ethiopian treasurer (Acts 8:26), of Cornelius (Acts 10), of Lydia (Acts 16:13), and others. (See REGENERATION.)