Family reactions to religious change: The case of african american women who become muslim

This paper presents a study of family reactions to African American adult daughters' conversions from Christianity to Islam. Examining qualitative data from interviews with Christian mothers and Muslim daughters in 17 family units, we explored reactions to a family member's religious conversion initially and over time. We also identified the specific challenges facing African American families when a daughter converts to Islam. We found a wide range of initial emotional responses to an adult daughter's conversion. Over time, the families showed marked changes, predominantly in the direction of increased respect and acceptance. Reactions to the change and the challenges facing the families are discussed in relation to several theories, including ambiguous loss, and implications for practice are described.