Stages of Religious Disaffiliation
Brinkerhoff and Burke (1980) argue that "religious disaffiliation is a gradual, cumulative social process in which negative labeling may act as a 'catalyst' accelerating the journey of apostasy while giving it form and direction." They also argue that the process of religious disaffiliation includes the member stopping believing but continuing to participate in rituals, and that the element of doubt underlies many of the theoretical assumptions dealing with apostasy.
In her article about ex-nuns, Ebaugh (1988) describes four stages characteristic of role exit:
- first doubts
- seeking and weighing role alternatives
- a turning point
- establishing an ex-role identity.
In the two samples studied by Ebaugh the vast majority of the ex-nuns remained Catholics.
The Episcopal Church is forcing disaffiliation on some congregations in recient property settlements.
Read more about this topic: Disengagement From Religion
Famous quotes containing the words stages of, stages and/or religious:
“The four stages of man are infancy, childhood, adolescence and obsolescence.”
—Art Linkletter (20th century)
“The four stages of man are infancy, childhood, adolescence and obsolescence.”
—Art Linkletter (20th century)
“The short lesson that comes out of long experience in political agitation is something like this: all the motive power in all of these movements is the instinct of religious feeling. All the obstruction comes from attempting to rely on anything else. Conciliation is the enemy.”
—John Jay Chapman (1862–1933)