Anchored in Hope: How Muslim Refugees Navigate Conversion and Belonging Through the Church

Abstract

This article examines how refugees from Muslim backgrounds use the concept of hope during their approach to the Church and religious conversion in Europe. By integrating psychological, theological, and existential perspectives, the study explores hope as a driving force behind their spiritual and identity transformations. Drawing on thinkers like Charles Snyder, Viktor Frankl, Jürgen Moltmann, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr, it analyzes the dimensions of hope—agency, meaning, eschatological promise, and belonging—within both Christian and Islamic contexts. Using the Good Samaritan model, the Church's role is envisioned in three phases: the inn keeper phase, the home phase and the empowerment phase. Case studies of refugee converts illustrate how Christian hope offers them not only a future promise but also present security, identity, and belonging.