"Living Between Two Different Worlds": Experiences of Leaving a High-Cost Religious Group

The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of individuals’ subjective experiences after leaving a high-cost religious group and how these experiences have affected their lives. In-depth interviews were done with 18 participants who had left different religious c...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Björkmark, Maria (Author) ; Nynäs, Peter 1969- (Author) ; Koskinen, Camilla (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Springer Science + Business Media B. V. 2022
In: Journal of religion and health
Year: 2022, Volume: 61, Issue: 6, Pages: 4721-4737
Further subjects:B High-cost religious group
B religious disaffiliation
B Experiences
B in-depth interviews
B Thematic Analysis
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of individuals’ subjective experiences after leaving a high-cost religious group and how these experiences have affected their lives. In-depth interviews were done with 18 participants who had left different religious communities in Finland. The interviews were analysed through a thematic analysis. The results show that religious disaffiliation is a life change that may affect an individual’s life in profound ways. Life after being a member of a high-cost group may involve experiences of fear, guilt, sorrow, pain, loss and even suffering on an existential level. These experiences can have serious implications for one’s well-being and health. However, life after religious disaffiliation also includes many positive aspects, such as experiences of joy, freedom, relief, gratitude and empowerment.
ISSN:1573-6571
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and health
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s10943-021-01397-1