Catholic Habitus and Bahá’í Identity in Europe: Continuity, Conversion, and the Lived Experience of Progressive Revelation

This paper examines the lived experiences of first-generation Bahá'ís from European Catholic backgrounds, focusing on their religious transitions through the lens of progressive revelation. Drawing on life story interviews and ethnographic fieldwork in Ireland and Italy, I analyze how first-generation Bahá'ís navigate their religious identity within personal, familial, and community contexts. The research reveals how the Bahá'í theological framework of progressive revelation facilitates a unique form of religious transition that enables continuity with Catholic heritage while embracing Bahá'í beliefs. The absence of clergy and of ceremonial rupture with previous affiliations in the Bahá'í Faith allows individuals to maintain familial and cultural connections while developing personal relationships with religious figures, particularly Jesus Christ. This study contributes to understanding how Bahá'í approaches to religious plurality shape convert experiences and challenge traditional anthropological models of religious conversion based on rupture.