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Florida Atlantic Undergraduate Research Journal

College

Charles E Schmidt College of Science

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Religious, trauma, Deconversion, Christian, Shame, Mental, health, experience, purity, culture, community, ostracism, self-worth, identity, psychology, therapeutic intervention

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Although the benefits of religion on individuals’ mental wellbeing have been well-studied, research exploring aspects of religion that may prove harmful to mental wellbeing is limited. This study explores the roles of shame in the experiences of ex-Christians that led to their deconversion. The study’s results have implications for understanding the experiences of religious trauma, considering that chronic shame has been linked to the development of trauma. Respondents, recruited via Reddit, answered survey questions about the ways in which they perceived shame to influence their religious experiences, personal experiences, and religious deconversion. Inductive thematic analysis was utilized to derive themes from the responses. The themes include the centrality and persistence of shame, the shameful nature of purity ideals, social ostracism and judgement, doubts of self-worth, and dissatisfaction with religious community and logic. The findings of this study may be indicative of the ways in which shameful aspects of religion may potentially prove traumatic to individuals. This way, the findings of this study will be able to contribute to the development of effective therapeutic interventions against religion-oriented mental ailment, and may guide the development of healthier religious practices.

Advisors

Robin Vallacher

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