02 — The Conversion
How an Arab Muslim of Baghdad became a Christian: Abo’s gradual attraction to Christ within the Christian society of Kartli — his study of the Georgian language and of Scripture — and his baptism in the safety of the Christian north, where the Islamic penalty for apostasy could not reach him.
Tradition: Georgian Orthodox
This section follows the interior and the practical dimensions of Abo’s conversion. The first file traces the drawing of his heart: how, living in a Christian household and society, he learned Georgian, listened to the services and the Scriptures, spoke with priests, and came gradually to faith in Christ. The second file treats the hard practical fact that shaped the whole story: under the Islamic law of the emirate a Muslim could not openly receive Christian baptism without incurring the death penalty for apostasy, so Abo was baptized only when Nerse’s household withdrew to the Christian-ruled north (Khazaria/Abkhazia), where he was safe.
Files
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| drawn-to-christ-in-kartli.md | Abo’s study of Georgian and Scripture and his gradual attraction to Christianity in the Christian society of Kartli |
| baptism-in-safety.md | Why he could not be baptized in Tbilisi under Islamic law; his baptism in the Christian north, safe from the apostasy penalty |
See Also
- 01 — Foundations — the world in which the conversion happened
- 03 — The Return and the Open Confession — what the baptized Abo did on returning to Tbilisi