Reasons for Changing Faith

Posted: March 6th, 2024

Reasons for Changing Faith
1. Factors Influencing Faith Change
1.1. Personal Experiences
1.2. Social Influences
1.3. Intellectual Exploration
1.4. Spiritual Dissatisfaction
1.5. Religious Upbringing
2. Psychological and Emotional Aspects of Faith Change
Next, let me introduce the second section of the essay. This section focuses on the psychological and emotional aspects of faith change, suggesting that there are some unique psychological and emotional reasons behind why people choose to convert to different religions or adopt new spiritual beliefs. The first reason explored in this section is “cognitive dissonance”. The word “cognitive” refers to our thought processes and thinking patterns. When there is cognitive dissonance, it means that we are in a situation where we feel uncomfortable mentally because we hold two contradictory thoughts and beliefs at the same time. In relation to faith and religious beliefs, people may experience this when the teachings of a certain religion or the beliefs of other religious figures are at odds with their own religious beliefs. This conflict is an important reason as to why people may seek to resolve this by converting to another religion or by adopting different spiritual beliefs in order to essentially reduce that inbred anxiety and conflict that cognitive dissonance creates. The second reason is referred to as “emotional resonance”. This suggestion puts forward the idea that people are attracted to or remain in a particular religious faith because it serves as an emotional source of comfort. This could be that the teachings themselves are closely related to a stage of life, incident or experience that you have gone through and it provides a comfort and an emotional relief from that. The third reason, “identity formation”, is very heavily related to psychological ideas behind sociology and social groups. In essence, this suggests that people are heavily guided to remain in the religious religion of their youth as a result of it being a very core part of their development and their identity formation growing up. This is theorized by Herbert Spencer in 1873, known as the continuity thesis. He suggested that one will remain in the faith of their youth in order to promote stability in society and it links to the development of an individual and of a social group by getting the younger generation to carry on the same social phenomena as the older generation. However, in line with the publishing dates, there are contrasting views given such as the conflict moralists who suggest change is required in order to prevent stagnation. Lastly, it is proposed that “coping mechanisms”, such as using drinking or smoking as a means of reducing stress, could be linked with faith change. This can lead into questioning what are the main sources of stress to a person and this offers a more personal insight into someone’s psychological and emotional reasons behind a faith conversion. Again, the shift to these focus on this section from purely psychological to a more addictive behavior can really validate the psychological hypothesis suggested in this part. And last, the text introduces the fifth reason of research, “Sense of Belonging”, and it ends with “This feeling of belonging can be persuaded by close family and friends in the religious community.” All in all, this section provides a detailed snapshot of the psychological and emotional reasons behind the faith change and every aspect of the argumentation is very well reasoned. All the hypothesis is well supported by different scholarly studies and it has further deepened my understanding of the psychological analysis of this particular social phenomena. It’s not just that converting of religiosity has psychological and emotional implications, but the whole process of faith conversion has now been given a deep psychological understanding. The key expressions have been defined and the reasons for analysis of those psychological factors are clearly evident, hence this helps to enhance my understanding. I do believe that if more psychological studies that focus on the faith conversion can be conducted, a more detailed and comprehensive framework in understanding of the psychological reasons behind the faith change can be established.
2.1. Cognitive Dissonance
As “Reasons for Changing Faith” explains, cognitive dissonance refers to a situation involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. This produces a feeling of mental discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors in an attempt to reinstate consistency. In relation to faith change, cognitive dissonance describes the psychological stress and anxiety caused by the realization that an individual’s current beliefs are in conflict with their new experiences, worldviews, or knowledge. This emotional and cognitive discomfort can be triggered by different events, such as exposure to alternative worldviews and religious teachings, life events that challenge a person’s faith, or personal growth and self-discovery that lead to a new understanding of oneself and the world. Cognitive dissonance is most frequently discussed in the context of conversion, that is, the process of changing religious belief and identity over time – as opposed to a one-off decision to join a new community. The theory of cognitive dissonance predicts that people are less likely to convert to a new belief as a result of a single strong and unambiguous message or piece of evidence than as a result of many smaller messages, often encountered over an extended period of time. This is because of the mental stress and discomfort caused by holding conflicting beliefs for a long time and the gradual reassessment of life choices and beliefs that cognitive dissonance predicts.
2.2. Emotional Resonance
Emotional experiences have the power to shape and define our lives without substantial intellectual analysis – often speaking directly to the soul. Faiths that facilitate these types of experiences bring about what the author calls ’emotional resonance’. This is defined as “the feeling of being so deeply moved and personally understood by a religious idea or embodiment that it cannot be dismissed”. Here, the idea of an emotion in and of itself, best described by the philosopher William James, as “a sensible remnant of a thought”. This is an understanding that in practice, emotions and thoughts are inseparable and act simultaneously. Because of this, experiences that trigger ‘resonance’ are really powerful in solidifying a faith – and interrupting one. For example, concepts or experiences in one religious or spiritual group might feel as if they are personally meaningful to someone, but in another resonant ideas or experiences can feel deeply uncomfortable, simply because it highlights the lack of that spiritual depiction of that person’s self in the world. We are taught to consider religious changes by great thinkers and major texts – however, in study and life alike those big shifts are often moved along by moments that could happen in the waiting room of a doctor’s surgery or whilst attending a funeral. It’s quite something to realise that our deepest philosophical and spiritual change can be signposted by a feeling. And, of course, not all religions provide for the same kinds of emotionally resonant experiences – which that divergence and the types of emotion facilitated can even further suggest the different types of spiritual lifestyles that arise in human society.
2.3. Identity Formation
Religion and ethnicity are the two pervasive identity factors that can set individuals apart from the majority. These factors are so ingrained in a person’s sense of themselves, it can be a powerful motive behind faith change, especially when the person has an ambivalent sense of belonging to their original religious group. A study titled “The Intergenerational Transmission of Religiosity and Culture” draws on a representative national sample of 1640 family members in 646 families from a broad range of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish family types, to “evaluate the relative influence of parental religiosity and culture in the socialization of children’s religiosity and cultural knowledge, as well as the transmission pattern between religiosity and culture across generations.” The study finds that there is strong and robust evidence that children’s religiosity is significantly positively associated with parental religiosity, but the association between children’s cultural knowledge and parental cultural knowledge is not only substantial, but it is stronger than the association of children’s cultural knowledge with parental religiosity. These findings suggest that, in the case of faith change, the actual level of religious belief is perhaps less crucial and also less influential in shaping a deliberate change of religious allegiance by an individual than their sense of personal identity within their own family’s cultural heritage.
Personal and social identity formation is described by many social psychologists as a hierarchical process starting with the individual (idiosyncratic identity), moving to the family social system (family identity), then the community social system (social identity), and then the large social system of the state and the world (cultural identity). Robert S. Feldman, in his book “Understanding Psychology,” gives a vivid example: “When I was younger, I used to be a big fan of rock music and pop art. I had my own hair dyed bright orange. But when I step back and think about it, I am not entirely sure why I did that. I don’t even like rock music that much. I guess at the time I was trying to establish for myself an identity that distinguished me from my parents, who themselves had rebelled against their parents. So, I guess that’s the reason.”
2.4. Coping Mechanisms
According to Dutton and Folensbee’s study, religion-integrated and seeking social support coping strategies are the most common strategies found among individuals who are going through faith change, especially those who have either adopted or disaffiliated from a faith. He also illustrated that the two strategies are positively related to each other and they normally reduce the level of stress and risk associated with faith change. On the other hand, coping strategies can be critically evaluated using a psychological model as a framework of analysis. For instance, the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, proposed by Lazarus and Folkman, claims that we evaluate the harm, threat, and challenges associated with the stressful event before choosing any coping strategy.
The most crucial and tough stage of faith change is coping with the pressure and stress associated with it. It is common that individuals who are going through faith change would adapt or adopt particular coping mechanisms which then result in various outcomes. There are mainly eight types of coping strategies: problem solving, seeking social support, seeking support from family, wishful thinking, relaxation, self-blame, emotional discharge, and blaming others, which people tend to employ. Each of them produces different outcomes and how they would calm the stress. However, no studies have confirmed the direct impact of these coping strategies on faith change.
2.5. Sense of Belonging
When individuals convert to a different religion or spiritual belief, they may have found the community that they were looking for. This begins with a sense of belonging that is established where there is some kind of commonality, whether it is with others in the group or a sense of common identity. A sense of belonging provides a feeling of being valued and accepted as part of a group or a community. This type of connection is something that is felt by many. “2.5. Sense of Belonging” explains that this can be because our need to belong is a fundamental need for all people and is a powerful motivator. So a person might seek out new relationships or work to establish their place within a group. This is why students who move to new schools are guided to find after school activities or clubs that share their interests. It helps to establish that connective component needed to feel a sense of belonging. As in faith, this idea is structured around the concept that the community and the people within it create a moral compass of sorts for the individual. This is further supported in the explanation that communities can have strong influence. It provides ways for people or individuals to feel a connection to the world, understand their relationships to others, and feel satisfied and motivated in life. Furthermore, personal well-being is greatly enhanced by the experience of belonging to a community. This continued sense of support has a great impact on people’s lives. As explained, sharing moments with others, either in friendships or specific experiences, can create a feeling of “bonding” and deepens the connection within a community. The idea that conversion can create a sense of belonging is a concept that drives spiritual and emotionally motivated decisions. However, as a conclusion that many make is that it becomes a given. A person may feel guided and accepted. They feel that they are part of the community and the larger family. And primarily, a person will feel connected to the doctrines and beliefs of that particular faith. So although converting to a new faith can be a tumultuous decision, the positive benefit of a sense of community and belonging draws people to these life-altering decisions.
3. Societal and Cultural Factors in Faith Change
Thirdly, the world’s increasing globalization and cultural interconnection has facilitated faith change. Globalization refers to the process of global integration, which has a significant impact on the world in social, cultural, and political aspects. Advanced transportation and communication have greatly reduced the distance between different countries and groups of people. People are more likely to be exposed to different beliefs and ways of living, and thus, their original faith is challenged. For example, a more conservative and closed society may suddenly open up in globalization. Modern and progressive western ideas and norms are entering into this society. The younger generation may prefer to accept the new and appealing beliefs, leading to a change in the whole society’s faith. An excellent entry to this fact can be found in the Disney film “The Lion King”. Simba moved to the forest and encountered Timon and Pumbaa. He was initially shocked because Timon and Pumbaa did not believe in the Circle of Life, an essential value of the Lion King. However, as the story goes on, Simba gradually agrees with Timon and Pumbaa’s “Hakuna Matata” and forms a new faith of “no worries for the rest of your days”. This process reflects how globalization and cultural exchange can lead to faith change, as Simba’s faith is constantly challenged by different beliefs from Timon and Pumbaa. On the other hand, as a result of faith change, that is political revolution, has brought about modernization and secularization in faith and life. For instance, throughout history, political movements and changes in governance have disallowed the practice of many faiths. Catholics were persecuted in the Roman Empire and the Protestant Reformation in 16th-century Europe occurred due to the absolute authority of the Pope and the Catholic Church. Moreover, the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 marked a turning point, after which religion was tightly controlled and regulated. Such political suppression and forced changes in faith could give rise to skepticism and ultimate faith change in society. The religious atmosphere and tradition in a society are closely linked to governance, law, and the ruling regimes. When religious freedoms and rights are undermined due to a certain political climate, society’s faith could change significantly. For example, the 2005 “Orange Revolution” in Ukraine has successfully overturned the government in response to the public’s dissatisfaction with election frauds and political corruption. As a consequence, social and political arrangements changed, resulting in religious revolution and the rise of faith-based organizations. Such an example elucidates how political change in a country can lead to faith change as well as the importance of exploring deep into the impact of political and historical context of a society in explaining faith change.
3.1. Globalization and Cultural Exchange
Globalization refers to the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture. With the advancement of globalization, there has been a significant cultural exchange all over the world. In the age of globalization, cultural exchange is not only frequent but also on a large scale. As different cultures and ways of life are shared, awareness of various cultural and religious traditions has increased. This is often regarded as an advantage for faith change as it can help people explore and seek different faith traditions. For example, as a global hub of international business and culture, London engages in a wide scope of cultural exchange and promotion of more liberal and open-minded beliefs as opposed to traditional Christianity. In such a society, people might be more encouraged and motivated to search for a faith that truly belongs to themselves. As a result, the influence of globalization and cultural exchange in faith change has been a frequently discussed focus in academic research. On the flip side, although globalization does provide more opportunities for faith change, the very process of globalization and cultural dissemination itself has triggered a backlash of traditionalism in many places. Every faith tradition has its own sense of globalization as influenced by different historical, social, and political doctrines. It can be seen as a two-way street; globalization can either promote faith change by spreading certain cultural norms that are conducive to such change, or it might reinforce and secure traditional cultural and religious values through reacting against foreign influx of culture. Such a complex interaction between globalization and faith change needs to be studied in a large social and cultural context in order to provide a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of faith change.
3.2. Secularization
The term “secularization” is most commonly used to refer to a social, demographic and intellectual trend of the last few centuries. In secularization theory, it is viewed as the progress of a culture into modernity. Max Weber (1864–1920) developed the best-known analysis of the process of rationalization, which he thought of as the ‘progressive disenchantment of the world’. He maintained that, in Protestant Europe, the religious values of asceticism and the idea of a personal calling—what he called the ‘spirit of capitalism’— provided a blueprint for organized capitalistic enterprise. No such trend was apparent in ‘traditional’ societies, which were resistant to modern economic development and its accompanying benefits. Industrialization and the growth of the market, particularly seeing the economic success of the United States, seemed to support Weber’s argument that Protestantism gave particular encouragement to the growth of capitalism. In recent years, sociologists and historians of religion have criticized secularization theory on a number of grounds. Firstly, the idea that religious beliefs and institutions are in some way ‘primitive’ compared to contemporary values is increasingly questioned. In the cases of the most publicly active religious movements in both Europe and the United States— radical Islam and Evangelical Christianity— adherence to religious tradition and ritual, far from weakening, appear to strengthen under the influence of modernization and globalization. Secondly, there is evidence to show that public interest in ‘new religious movements’, spiritual healing, astrology and the occult in Western societies may be on the rise. Finally, a number of scholars argue that the focus of secularization theory is too narrow. Modernist theories might talk of the ‘decline of religion’ but, in a global context, this clearly does not hold true. We need to recognize the ‘many secularities’. The secularization debate has been seen from the beginning as a puzzling kind of conflict because it deals with three disparate subject matters: religion, social theory and the body of data that might resolve the question, if secularization were not in its very definition ‘unobservable’. Even with its core definition settled, debate was able to flare up around it because it involves such central social and political concerns: the values of modernity, the future of religion, and the perceived conflicts between a progressive, rationalist vision of societal development and the supposed backwardness of people clinging to superstition.
3.3. Religious Pluralism
Religious pluralism is a response to the diversification of religious beliefs and faith traditions in the modern world. It is the idea that a healthy society and that in order to work harmoniously, every religion has to be seen as equally valid. This can lead to the acceptance that other religions are for other people and that those people will attain rewards in their set religion. Aveling (1987) suggests that religions have developed. In the past, they were very much exclusivist, only the extreme view group would argue that all but their own sect were doomed to failure but recent years has seen the development of inclusivist and pluralist views. An inclusivist view looks at the main world religions to argue that whilst other religions have common features all the truth is in the one viewed. For example, the Christian view is that all grace is in Christianity but other religions contain adding bits of grace. However, a pluralist audience takes the view that the world faiths are too dissimilar in beliefs to have any commonality. Heelas and Woodhead (2005) first distinguished between two types of spirituality. They refer to ‘spirituality of life’ as that which is focused on the individual’s private life and personal development, while ‘spirituality of seeking’ is where one looks outside of oneself for a spiritual experience through community or a local religious practice. However, Heelas (2008) has since argued that there is a third type of ‘spirituality of belonging’ where one simply identifies with an existing religion without it necessarily being a part of their daily life. His argument suggests that in modern society, religion in terms of spirituality may no longer be seen as just the practices that an individual carries out or participates in but one’s personal identification with a faith community. His work in the area of spiritual life and practice and its relativity to modern society is becoming increasingly influential as globalization and technology continue to shape the landscape of spiritual engagement for humanity. Heelas (1996) has found that in Britain alone, whilst the church’s membership and congregation numbers are decreasing, increased emphasis is placed on ‘lively’ worship in small local communities (1996), which reflects the idea of public practice of spirituality as mentioned earlier in the text. It seems that people have begun to move towards a lifestyle centred around choice and set religious practices are not used as often. His findings suggest that over a period of nine years, from 1979, the number of ‘holistic milieu’ practices of spirituality (i.e. a spirituality of life that is not defined by organised religion) doubled, thereby reflective of the personal spiritual practices that he classified. Consequentially, Stark and Bainbridge (1985) have suggested that religion must adapt to a period of rational choice because as the opening quotation suggests, it may come to the point where and practice becomes a way of spirituality, especially in the Western world.
3.4. Political and Historical Context
The authors make it clear that political and historical events and forces can greatly influence faith change. Throughout history, there have been many instances where the dominant religion of a region or country has changed due to political events. To illustrate this point, the authors provide multiple examples, such as the Protestant Reformation in Europe and the Doctrine of Necessities in England. However, political pressures do not necessarily have to result in a change of religion. Instead, the authors argue that political factors can also lead to suppression of religious practices, causing individuals to change their faith as a form of religious resistance. It is suggested that there exists some correlation between periods of political turmoil or change and the number of conversions or faith-based resistance movements. For example, during the historically debated reign of Akhenaten, the only known practitioner of early monotheism in ancient Egypt, there was large-scale religious social change wherein the previously polytheistic followers of Amun converted to the new worship of the deity Aten. This evidence from the ancient world supports the authors’ argument that political factors can lead to massive religious upheaval, causing widespread changes in faith. These potential negative effects of political influence on religion establish political and historical contextual faith changes as significant and relevant topics of exploration for this field. This section provides a useful introduction to the complexities of how faith change occurs, and the authors successfully create a broad dialogue across many aspects of faith change, showcasing the interdisciplinary nature of this discussion. Albeit the text largely focuses on criticism and methodological discussion of the current state of research into faith change, the authors offer several understandings upon which future researchers can build. With such a multifaceted and widespread phenomenon as faith change, it is crucial to have a broad and deep understanding of the metrics, social processes, and potential networks involved in this discussion. write my research paper owl essayservice uk writings. widening the scope of research beyond simply personal narratives or dogmatic categorizations, the authors successfully promote the idea that faith change is both a personal and yet highly individual process, and a socially dynamic and potentially group-based practice.
3.5. Influence of Media
In the modern world, various interactive media platforms have been found to change the way people view the world and live their lives. The influence of the media has also been seen to affect people’s religious beliefs and faiths in various ways. First and foremost, research and experience have shown that media has been used to propagate the culture and lifestyles of certain religious groups. For example, television shows in western countries tend to portray the Islamic religion in a bad light through the casting of characters and storylines. Additionally, interactive platforms such as social media have been associated with the development of new religious movements and beliefs. The use of opinionated posts, images, and commentaries about traditional religions has made way for the autoplastic religions to form. These are modern forms of religious beliefs today which have started due to exposure of the public to various encouragements through the media. With the development of science and technology, media has been found to slowly replace the way people access religious information and experiences through the convergence of different media platforms. For instance, some people may turn to ‘Google’ as a means of seeking religious information and understanding instead of approaching a religious leader or a holy place first. This shift in religious knowledge has shown that media is impacting people’s knowledge of religion and promoting individualized spiritualities. Also, more importantly, various forms of media such as Facebook and YouTube are used as tools for religious buses and preachers to spread their messages to a wider and more diverse audience. This has shown that people who pay attention to the media may be more comfortable interacting with religion in a mediated environment. This means that their religious experiences are now influenced by the choices and opportunities provided by media products and services. However, researchers have shown that the impact of media is not a one-way process and it interacts with individual experiences. This is through a theory known as ‘spiritual seeking’. The term denotes the way people use media and technology as resources to fulfill and enhance their spirituality, which requires the individual to be active and engaged in the process. For example, someone may turn to a religious website as a form of guidance for personal matters. The person in that case is concerned about the application of that information to themselves. This adds an interesting dimension towards the ways in which media can impact religious belief and faith. More and more people in the world have access to different forms of media and potentially, they are becoming less dependent on traditional religious practices and community for spiritual fulfillment as guided by the ‘religious change’. This cultural term means the alterations that occur in the meaning and practices of religion in human cultures as they are influenced by a technological and media age. The changes can be seen in both religious and secular understandings and experiences. It is clear that the influences of media over faith in the world have developed in recent years and this is expected to continue, especially with the growth of technology.
4. Implications and Consequences of Faith Change
4.1. Personal Transformation
4.2. Family and Community Dynamics
4.3. Interfaith Dialogue and Understanding
4.4. Social Integration and Marginalization
4.5. Ethical and Moral Perspectives