Abstract

Literature is silent about the stability of change occurring through spiritual conversions. The researcher proposes that the dietary change in eco-spiritual communities is more long-lasting than where spirituality is absent. Conversion research has long established that spiritual conversions result in a radical change of conduct. However, little if anything is said about the durability of change thus taking place. Through decades of participation in meat-free communities, the researcher observed that maintaining a sustainable diet is a steadier project for spiritual converts than for nonspiritual consumers. Not to immediately test this supposition quantitatively, but first to gain qualitative insights and construct meaning together with adherents, the researcher visited three spiritual eco-farms in the Hare Krishna (UK and Eastern Europe) and the Seventh-day Adventist (East Africa) movements. The samples were chosen because of their embraced vegetarianism and its widespread practice and promotion within and outside their ranks. The researcher spent several months on these farms, volunteered in their daily projects, made observations, and conducted twenty-nine interviews. The researcher found that the rich conversion narratives gained in both communities serve as additional triggers for sustainability, an option not available for nonspiritual dieters. The researcher proposes that the serendipitous, spontaneous, and miraculous elements of these conversion accounts, and their regular repetition, in particular, bolster the dietary practices of members and their respective communities. Further research is needed to test this hypothesis quantitatively.