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Falling from the Faith: Causes and Consequences of Religious Apostasy
Falling From the Faith brings together research on religious disaffiliation by leading sociologists of religion, exemplifying the current state of knowledge on an increasingly important subject. The volume is divided into two main sections, disaffiliation from mainline churches and from alternative religious groups, emphasising the different approaches used to study each and suggesting issues for future work. The contributors suggest that the patterns of disaffiliation disclose a historic restructuring of the place of religion in the social order. The volume is thus a useful tool for sociologists interested in the study of religion in today′s society and an essential text for courses in religion.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1988
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June 9, 2017
Let me start by being clear that this review is only for "Between Two Worlds: Issues of Separation and Identity after Leaving a Religious Community" by Susan Rothbaum, one of many articles collected within this anthology. After skimming the rest of the book, I only read this one because it was most pertinent to my interests (and also because I'm on limited reading time).
At the time of this writing, Rothbaum was director of Sorting It Out (SIO), an apparently now-defunct transitional counseling group in Berkeley, CA, for former members of religious groups. Her years of experience working with apostates show in the wisdom and compassion she uses to write about the apostate experience and the spiritual abuse they encounter. Let me showcase this quote:
At the risk of oversimplification, we can say that much of the existing literature has been based on two opposed sets of assumptions. According to the first, potential “cult” members are misled into initial participation, then subjected to mind control that prevents them from exercising their free will in deciding to leave. According to the second, individuals exercising their religious freedom join essentially benign “new religious movements” that they can leave freely at any time.
SIO participants paint a more complicated picture. As previously noted, most joined without coercion and left without intervention. Nonetheless, we have found that while in groups, they were subjected to a systematic breaking down of individual identity, which generates substantial problems for the leavetaker. This “chiseling away” at the personality is neither a secret nor unintended consequence; it is predicated in the belief system and institutionalized in the structures and practices of a wide variety of groups. In many religions, the individual ego is viewed as an island of selfishness, a delusion that separates seekers from God or prevents them from realizing their true nature. Members join groups because they are deeply dissatisfied with their faults and limitations; they wish to be remade in an ideal image (pp. 207-208).
What a breath of fresh air in a field where issues are usually treated as black and white! This is a must-read for anyone who has experienced spiritual abuse in a closed religious community.
(Now I'm sad because after reading this, I was ready to put everything by Rothbaum on my TBR list, but this is apparently the only piece she's published.)
At the time of this writing, Rothbaum was director of Sorting It Out (SIO), an apparently now-defunct transitional counseling group in Berkeley, CA, for former members of religious groups. Her years of experience working with apostates show in the wisdom and compassion she uses to write about the apostate experience and the spiritual abuse they encounter. Let me showcase this quote:
At the risk of oversimplification, we can say that much of the existing literature has been based on two opposed sets of assumptions. According to the first, potential “cult” members are misled into initial participation, then subjected to mind control that prevents them from exercising their free will in deciding to leave. According to the second, individuals exercising their religious freedom join essentially benign “new religious movements” that they can leave freely at any time.
SIO participants paint a more complicated picture. As previously noted, most joined without coercion and left without intervention. Nonetheless, we have found that while in groups, they were subjected to a systematic breaking down of individual identity, which generates substantial problems for the leavetaker. This “chiseling away” at the personality is neither a secret nor unintended consequence; it is predicated in the belief system and institutionalized in the structures and practices of a wide variety of groups. In many religions, the individual ego is viewed as an island of selfishness, a delusion that separates seekers from God or prevents them from realizing their true nature. Members join groups because they are deeply dissatisfied with their faults and limitations; they wish to be remade in an ideal image (pp. 207-208).
What a breath of fresh air in a field where issues are usually treated as black and white! This is a must-read for anyone who has experienced spiritual abuse in a closed religious community.
(Now I'm sad because after reading this, I was ready to put everything by Rothbaum on my TBR list, but this is apparently the only piece she's published.)
Displaying 1 of 1 review