In this episode, Chris Clark talks with Esra Özyürek about the backstories behind conversions to Islam in today’s Germany. Converts to Islam in Germany number about 100,000 according to current estimates. What motivates German converts to take this step? And what kind of step is it? How are converts viewed by the communities they seek to join and how are they seen by mainstream German society? And what does the convert’s journey across boundaries tell us about national and social belonging? A conversation about identity, difference and the place of religion in a secular society.

Professor Esra Ozyurek joined University of Cambridge after having taught at the London School of Economics and University of California, San Deigo. She completed her PhD at the University of Michigan and prior to that she received a completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology and Political Science at Bogazici University, Istanbul. You can follow her on Twitter @esragozyurek

Chris Clark is the Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge. He was made Knight Bachelor in the 2015 birthday honours list for services to British-German relations.

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