Versions of Deconversion

Versions of Deconversion

Author: John D. Barbour

Publisher: University of Virginia Press

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 9780813915463

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In Versions of Deconversion John Barbour examines the work of a broad selection of authors in order to discover the reasons for their loss of faith and to analyze the ways in which they have interpreted that loss. For some the experience of deconversion led to another religious faith, some turned to atheism or agnosticism, and others used deconversion as a metaphor or analogy to interpret an experience of personal transformation. The loss of faith is closely related to such vital ethical and theological concerns as the role of conscience, the assessment of religious communities, the dialectical relationship between faith and doubt, and the struggle to reconcile faith with intellectual and moral integrity. This book shows the persistence and the vitality of the theme of deconversion in autobiography, and it demonstrates how the literary form and structure of autobiography are shaped by ethical critique and religious reflection. Versions of Deconversion should appeal at once to scholars in the fields of religious studies and theology who are concerned with narrative texts, to literary critics and specialists on autobiography, and to a wider audience interested in the ethical and religious significance of autobiography.


Book Synopsis Versions of Deconversion by : John D. Barbour

Download or read book Versions of Deconversion written by John D. Barbour and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 1994 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Versions of Deconversion John Barbour examines the work of a broad selection of authors in order to discover the reasons for their loss of faith and to analyze the ways in which they have interpreted that loss. For some the experience of deconversion led to another religious faith, some turned to atheism or agnosticism, and others used deconversion as a metaphor or analogy to interpret an experience of personal transformation. The loss of faith is closely related to such vital ethical and theological concerns as the role of conscience, the assessment of religious communities, the dialectical relationship between faith and doubt, and the struggle to reconcile faith with intellectual and moral integrity. This book shows the persistence and the vitality of the theme of deconversion in autobiography, and it demonstrates how the literary form and structure of autobiography are shaped by ethical critique and religious reflection. Versions of Deconversion should appeal at once to scholars in the fields of religious studies and theology who are concerned with narrative texts, to literary critics and specialists on autobiography, and to a wider audience interested in the ethical and religious significance of autobiography.

Deconversion

Deconversion

Author: Heinz Streib

Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

Published: 2011-07-12

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 3647604399

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This book presents case studies and empirical data of a phenomenon which increasingly gains popularity in Western societies: deconversion. There is, the authors argue, no better word than deconversion to describe processes of disengagement from religious orientations because these have much in common with conversion. Termination of membership may eventually be the final step of deconversion, but it involves biographical and psychological dynamics which can and need to be reconstructed by qualitative approaches and analyzed by quantitative instruments.In the Bielefeld-based Cross-Cultural Study on Deconversion disengagement processes from a variety of religious backgrounds in the USA and in Germany were examined, ranging from well-established religious organizations to new religious and fundamentalist groups. Nearly 1,200 persons participated in thestudy and were interviewed from 2002 to 2005. In the focus of the study are 100 deconverts from the USA and from Germany who were examined with narrative interviews, faith development interviews and an extensive questionnaire. For case study elaboration, the study followed a research design with an innovative triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data. Four chapters, corresponding to four types of deconversion, present 21 case studies. The highlights of the research project are new data on spirituality – the deconverts in particular appear to prefer a »more spiritual than religious« self-identification – and in-depth analyses of a variety of deconversion narratives with special focus on personality factors, motivation, attitudes, religious development, psychological well-being and growth, religious fundamentalism and right-wing authoritarianism. The results of this project which was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft are of special relevance for counselling and pastoral care, for religious education and for people concerned with administration and management of religious groups and churches, but also for a wider audience interested in contemporary changes in the religious fields in the USA and Germany.


Book Synopsis Deconversion by : Heinz Streib

Download or read book Deconversion written by Heinz Streib and published by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. This book was released on 2011-07-12 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents case studies and empirical data of a phenomenon which increasingly gains popularity in Western societies: deconversion. There is, the authors argue, no better word than deconversion to describe processes of disengagement from religious orientations because these have much in common with conversion. Termination of membership may eventually be the final step of deconversion, but it involves biographical and psychological dynamics which can and need to be reconstructed by qualitative approaches and analyzed by quantitative instruments.In the Bielefeld-based Cross-Cultural Study on Deconversion disengagement processes from a variety of religious backgrounds in the USA and in Germany were examined, ranging from well-established religious organizations to new religious and fundamentalist groups. Nearly 1,200 persons participated in thestudy and were interviewed from 2002 to 2005. In the focus of the study are 100 deconverts from the USA and from Germany who were examined with narrative interviews, faith development interviews and an extensive questionnaire. For case study elaboration, the study followed a research design with an innovative triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data. Four chapters, corresponding to four types of deconversion, present 21 case studies. The highlights of the research project are new data on spirituality – the deconverts in particular appear to prefer a »more spiritual than religious« self-identification – and in-depth analyses of a variety of deconversion narratives with special focus on personality factors, motivation, attitudes, religious development, psychological well-being and growth, religious fundamentalism and right-wing authoritarianism. The results of this project which was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft are of special relevance for counselling and pastoral care, for religious education and for people concerned with administration and management of religious groups and churches, but also for a wider audience interested in contemporary changes in the religious fields in the USA and Germany.

The Anatomy of Deconversion

The Anatomy of Deconversion

Author: John Marriott

Publisher:

Published: 2021-04

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781684269402

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Book Synopsis The Anatomy of Deconversion by : John Marriott

Download or read book The Anatomy of Deconversion written by John Marriott and published by . This book was released on 2021-04 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Author: Jeanette Winterson

Publisher: Open Road + Grove/Atlantic

Published: 2007-12-01

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 0802198724

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The New York Times–bestselling author’s Whitbread Prize–winning debut—“Winterson has mastered both comedy and tragedy in this rich little novel” (The Washington Post Book World). When it first appeared, Jeanette Winterson’s extraordinary debut novel received unanimous international praise, including the prestigious Whitbread Prize for best first fiction. Winterson went on to fulfill that promise, producing some of the most dazzling fiction and nonfiction of the past decade, including her celebrated memoir Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal?. Now required reading in contemporary literature, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a funny, poignant exploration of a young girl’s adolescence. Jeanette is a bright and rebellious orphan who is adopted into an evangelical household in the dour, industrial North of England and finds herself embroidering grim religious mottoes and shaking her little tambourine for Jesus. But as this budding missionary comes of age, and comes to terms with her unorthodox sexuality, the peculiar balance of her God-fearing household dissolves. Jeanette’s insistence on listening to truths of her own heart and mind—and on reporting them with wit and passion—makes for an unforgettable chronicle of an eccentric, moving passage into adulthood. “If Flannery O’Connor and Rita Mae Brown had collaborated on the coming-out story of a young British girl in the 1960s, maybe they would have approached the quirky and subtle hilarity of Jeanette Winterson’s autobiographical first novel. . . . Winterson’s voice, with its idiosyncratic wit and sensitivity, is one you’ve never heard before.” —Ms. Magazine


Book Synopsis Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by : Jeanette Winterson

Download or read book Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit written by Jeanette Winterson and published by Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. This book was released on 2007-12-01 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New York Times–bestselling author’s Whitbread Prize–winning debut—“Winterson has mastered both comedy and tragedy in this rich little novel” (The Washington Post Book World). When it first appeared, Jeanette Winterson’s extraordinary debut novel received unanimous international praise, including the prestigious Whitbread Prize for best first fiction. Winterson went on to fulfill that promise, producing some of the most dazzling fiction and nonfiction of the past decade, including her celebrated memoir Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal?. Now required reading in contemporary literature, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a funny, poignant exploration of a young girl’s adolescence. Jeanette is a bright and rebellious orphan who is adopted into an evangelical household in the dour, industrial North of England and finds herself embroidering grim religious mottoes and shaking her little tambourine for Jesus. But as this budding missionary comes of age, and comes to terms with her unorthodox sexuality, the peculiar balance of her God-fearing household dissolves. Jeanette’s insistence on listening to truths of her own heart and mind—and on reporting them with wit and passion—makes for an unforgettable chronicle of an eccentric, moving passage into adulthood. “If Flannery O’Connor and Rita Mae Brown had collaborated on the coming-out story of a young British girl in the 1960s, maybe they would have approached the quirky and subtle hilarity of Jeanette Winterson’s autobiographical first novel. . . . Winterson’s voice, with its idiosyncratic wit and sensitivity, is one you’ve never heard before.” —Ms. Magazine

Deconverted

Deconverted

Author: Seth Andrews

Publisher:

Published: 2019-08-17

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 9781977217639

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"...and then Noah loaded the dinosaurs onto the ark." Assertions like these seem comical until you realize that many Christian parents aren't kidding when they teach them to their children as facts. Every day, impressionable young minds are conditioned to blindly accept wild biblical tales of floating zoos, talking shrubbery, 900-year-old humans, the undead, curses, levitation, demon/human hybrids and men who obtain super-human strength from the length of their hair. Allegiance to these teachings is expected, often demanded. Curiosity is muted. Doubt is frowned upon as a sin. And for those who dare to raise a dissenting hand, the threat of Hell looms ominously. A former religious radio host raised in the cradle of Christianity, Seth Andrews battled his own doubts for many years. His attempts to reconcile faith and the facts led him to a conclusion previously unthinkable, and this once-true believer ultimately became the founder of one of the most popular atheist communities on the internet.


Book Synopsis Deconverted by : Seth Andrews

Download or read book Deconverted written by Seth Andrews and published by . This book was released on 2019-08-17 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "...and then Noah loaded the dinosaurs onto the ark." Assertions like these seem comical until you realize that many Christian parents aren't kidding when they teach them to their children as facts. Every day, impressionable young minds are conditioned to blindly accept wild biblical tales of floating zoos, talking shrubbery, 900-year-old humans, the undead, curses, levitation, demon/human hybrids and men who obtain super-human strength from the length of their hair. Allegiance to these teachings is expected, often demanded. Curiosity is muted. Doubt is frowned upon as a sin. And for those who dare to raise a dissenting hand, the threat of Hell looms ominously. A former religious radio host raised in the cradle of Christianity, Seth Andrews battled his own doubts for many years. His attempts to reconcile faith and the facts led him to a conclusion previously unthinkable, and this once-true believer ultimately became the founder of one of the most popular atheist communities on the internet.

The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion

The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion

Author: Lewis R. Rambo

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2014-03-06

Total Pages: 829

ISBN-13: 0199713545

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The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion offers a comprehensive exploration of the dynamics of religious conversion, which for centuries has profoundly shaped societies, cultures, and individuals throughout the world. Scholars from a wide array of religions and disciplines interpret both the varieties of conversion experiences and the processes that inform this personal and communal phenomenon. This volume examines the experiences of individuals and communities who change religions, those who experience an intensification of their religion of origin, and those who encounter new religions through colonial intrusion, missionary work, and charismatic and revitalization movements. The thirty-two innovative essays provide overviews of the history of particular religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, indigenous religions, and new religious movements. The essays also offer a wide range of disciplinary perspectives-psychological, sociological, anthropological, legal, political, feminist, and geographical-on methods and theories deployed in understanding conversion, and insight into various forms of deconversion.


Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion by : Lewis R. Rambo

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion written by Lewis R. Rambo and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014-03-06 with total page 829 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion offers a comprehensive exploration of the dynamics of religious conversion, which for centuries has profoundly shaped societies, cultures, and individuals throughout the world. Scholars from a wide array of religions and disciplines interpret both the varieties of conversion experiences and the processes that inform this personal and communal phenomenon. This volume examines the experiences of individuals and communities who change religions, those who experience an intensification of their religion of origin, and those who encounter new religions through colonial intrusion, missionary work, and charismatic and revitalization movements. The thirty-two innovative essays provide overviews of the history of particular religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, indigenous religions, and new religious movements. The essays also offer a wide range of disciplinary perspectives-psychological, sociological, anthropological, legal, political, feminist, and geographical-on methods and theories deployed in understanding conversion, and insight into various forms of deconversion.

The Deconverted Man

The Deconverted Man

Author: Chase Austin

Publisher: Chase Austin

Published: 2020-10-04

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13:

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The ultimate guide for men who have left fundamentalist Christianity. Leaving fundamentalist Christianity can be incredibly traumatic and it’s hard to know where to start rebuilding your life. It can feel like you’re starting from scratch when you leave your religious community. All the rules and regulations that used to guide your life are gone, and it feels like you’re lost in a sea of uncertainty. The Deconverted Man is here to help. This book—written specifically for men—provides practical and actionable steps for how to rebuild your life in seven key areas: money, health, family, social life, hobbies, relationships, and spirituality. With this guide in hand, you’ll be able to create a new life post-religion that is far better than before. • Gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it really means to leave fundamental Christianity—and the toll it takes on your entire life, not only your belief system. • Unique perspective—written by a man who has been there, deconverted, and has taken tangible steps to rebuilding his life in radically better ways with more authenticity. • Provides tips and actionable steps for men to rebuild their lives back better than before. • A guide that is highly detailed but at the same time offers clear advice on how to overcome obstacles so you can have a fulfilling life after Christianity or any religion. • Get the help you need to transition away from harmful religious beliefs. • Learn about how being deconverted can change things for good in all seven areas of your life (money, health, family, social life, hobbies, relationships, spirituality). • Receive encouragement and tips on how to find meaning after leaving the Christian faith. If you’re looking for help as you rebuild your life after leaving fundamentalist Christianity, look no further than The Deconverted Man. With this guide, you’ll be able to create a new life that’ll truly make you feel “born again.” Order your copy today!


Book Synopsis The Deconverted Man by : Chase Austin

Download or read book The Deconverted Man written by Chase Austin and published by Chase Austin. This book was released on 2020-10-04 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultimate guide for men who have left fundamentalist Christianity. Leaving fundamentalist Christianity can be incredibly traumatic and it’s hard to know where to start rebuilding your life. It can feel like you’re starting from scratch when you leave your religious community. All the rules and regulations that used to guide your life are gone, and it feels like you’re lost in a sea of uncertainty. The Deconverted Man is here to help. This book—written specifically for men—provides practical and actionable steps for how to rebuild your life in seven key areas: money, health, family, social life, hobbies, relationships, and spirituality. With this guide in hand, you’ll be able to create a new life post-religion that is far better than before. • Gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it really means to leave fundamental Christianity—and the toll it takes on your entire life, not only your belief system. • Unique perspective—written by a man who has been there, deconverted, and has taken tangible steps to rebuilding his life in radically better ways with more authenticity. • Provides tips and actionable steps for men to rebuild their lives back better than before. • A guide that is highly detailed but at the same time offers clear advice on how to overcome obstacles so you can have a fulfilling life after Christianity or any religion. • Get the help you need to transition away from harmful religious beliefs. • Learn about how being deconverted can change things for good in all seven areas of your life (money, health, family, social life, hobbies, relationships, spirituality). • Receive encouragement and tips on how to find meaning after leaving the Christian faith. If you’re looking for help as you rebuild your life after leaving fundamentalist Christianity, look no further than The Deconverted Man. With this guide, you’ll be able to create a new life that’ll truly make you feel “born again.” Order your copy today!

Losing Faith in Faith

Losing Faith in Faith

Author: Dan Barker

Publisher:

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13:

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Losing Faith in Faith records Dan Barker's dramatic journey from devout soul-winner to one of America's most prominent freethinkers.Following his "calling" at age 15, Dan Barker worked as a missionary, ordained minister, associate pastor, touring evangelist, Christian songwriter, performer and record producer. After preaching for 19 years, Barker "lost faith in faith." Throwing out the bath water, he discovered: "There is no baby there!"Today Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., (www.ffrf.org) frequently represents freethought on the talkshow circuit and at personal appearances, concerts, and debates around the country, turning his experience as a former minister into ammunition against superstition and irrationality.In Losing Faith in Faith, Barker explains why he left the ministry. He also offers a definitive, compelling analysis of why he rejects belief in a god and the claims of religion. He explores the fallacies, inconsistencies, and harm of Christian doctrine and theistic dogma. In its place, he issues an appealing and compassionate invocation of freethought, reason, and humanism.Losing Faith in Faith is both a challenge to believers and an arsenal for skeptics.


Book Synopsis Losing Faith in Faith by : Dan Barker

Download or read book Losing Faith in Faith written by Dan Barker and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Losing Faith in Faith records Dan Barker's dramatic journey from devout soul-winner to one of America's most prominent freethinkers.Following his "calling" at age 15, Dan Barker worked as a missionary, ordained minister, associate pastor, touring evangelist, Christian songwriter, performer and record producer. After preaching for 19 years, Barker "lost faith in faith." Throwing out the bath water, he discovered: "There is no baby there!"Today Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., (www.ffrf.org) frequently represents freethought on the talkshow circuit and at personal appearances, concerts, and debates around the country, turning his experience as a former minister into ammunition against superstition and irrationality.In Losing Faith in Faith, Barker explains why he left the ministry. He also offers a definitive, compelling analysis of why he rejects belief in a god and the claims of religion. He explores the fallacies, inconsistencies, and harm of Christian doctrine and theistic dogma. In its place, he issues an appealing and compassionate invocation of freethought, reason, and humanism.Losing Faith in Faith is both a challenge to believers and an arsenal for skeptics.

The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion

The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion

Author: Marc David Baer

Publisher: Oxford Handbooks

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 829

ISBN-13: 0195338529

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This handbook offers a comprehensive exploration of the dynamics of religious conversion, which for centuries has profoundly shaped societies, cultures, and individuals throughout the world.


Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion by : Marc David Baer

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion written by Marc David Baer and published by Oxford Handbooks. This book was released on 2014 with total page 829 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This handbook offers a comprehensive exploration of the dynamics of religious conversion, which for centuries has profoundly shaped societies, cultures, and individuals throughout the world.

Semantics and Psychology of Spirituality

Semantics and Psychology of Spirituality

Author: Heinz Streib

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-10-16

Total Pages: 694

ISBN-13: 3319212451

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This book examines what people mean when they say they are “spiritual”. It looks at the semantics of “spirituality”, the visibility of reasons for “spiritual” preference in biographies, in psychological dispositions, in cultural differences between Germany and the US, and in gender differences. It also examines the kind of biographical consequences that are associated with “spirituality”. The book reports the results of an online-questionnaire filled out by 773 respondents in Germany and 1113 in the US, personal interviews with a selected group of more than 100 persons, and an experiment. Based on the data collected, it reports results that are relevant for a number of scientific and practical disciplines. It makes a contribution to the semantics of everyday religious language and to the cross-cultural study of religion and to many related fields as well, because “spirituality” is evaluated in relation to personality, mysticism, well-being, religious styles, generativity, attachment, biography and atheism. The book draws attention to the – new and ever changing – ways in which people give names to their ultimate concern and symbolize their experiences of transcendence.


Book Synopsis Semantics and Psychology of Spirituality by : Heinz Streib

Download or read book Semantics and Psychology of Spirituality written by Heinz Streib and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-10-16 with total page 694 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines what people mean when they say they are “spiritual”. It looks at the semantics of “spirituality”, the visibility of reasons for “spiritual” preference in biographies, in psychological dispositions, in cultural differences between Germany and the US, and in gender differences. It also examines the kind of biographical consequences that are associated with “spirituality”. The book reports the results of an online-questionnaire filled out by 773 respondents in Germany and 1113 in the US, personal interviews with a selected group of more than 100 persons, and an experiment. Based on the data collected, it reports results that are relevant for a number of scientific and practical disciplines. It makes a contribution to the semantics of everyday religious language and to the cross-cultural study of religion and to many related fields as well, because “spirituality” is evaluated in relation to personality, mysticism, well-being, religious styles, generativity, attachment, biography and atheism. The book draws attention to the – new and ever changing – ways in which people give names to their ultimate concern and symbolize their experiences of transcendence.