occurs when people disengage from social roles that have been central to their self-identity.

Role exit

Explanation:

When a person leaves a role that a person self identifies with in order to take up a new role is known as role exit. Role exits occur when a person is ready to take up a new position either on their own or due to other circumstances which makes it necessary to leave their existing role.

Hence, the statement here is referring to role exit.

unless they converted, many non-christians (mainly jews and muslims) were persecuted