  a deathbed conversion is the adoption of a particular religious faith shortly before dying. making a conversion on one's deathbed may reflect an immediate change of belief, a desire to formalize longer-term beliefs, or a desire to complete a process of conversion already underway. claims of the deathbed conversion of famous or influential figures are commonly used as rhetorical devices, but such claims are rarely verifiable. ==overview==  conversions at the point of death have a long history. the first recorded deathbed conversion appears in the gospel of luke where the good thief, crucified beside jesus, expresses belief in christ. jesus accepts his conversion, saying âtoday you shall be with me in paradise". perhaps the most momentous conversion in western history was that of constantine i, roman emperor and later proclaimed a christian saint. while his belief in christianity occurred long before his death, it was only on his deathbed that he was baptised, in 337. while traditional sources disagree as to why this happened so late, modern historiography concludes that constantine chose religious tolerance as an instrument to bolster his reign. his edict of toleration, subsequent patronage of the christian church, even his convening of and presiding over the first ecumenical council of nicaea, were all carried out while he was still officially a pagan, and while he bore the pagan office of pontifex maximus. ==suggested deathbed conversions== === sir allan napier macnab === sir allan napier macnab, canadian political leader, died 8 august 1862 in hamilton, ontario. his deathbed conversion to catholicism caused a furor in the press in the following days. the toronto globe and the hamilton spectator expressed strong doubts about the conversion, and the anglican rector of christ church in hamilton declared that macnab died a protestant. macnab's catholic baptism is recorded at st. mary's cathedral in hamilton, performed by 
Death Religion_and_death Religious_behaviour_and_experience