Attachment Theory and Religious Conversions: A Review and a Resolution of the Classic and Contemporary Paradigm Chasm
Two conversion "paradigms" have been described in the behavioral sciences of religion (Richardson 1985). The "classic" paradigm portrays conversions as occurring during distress, as being sudden and intense, and as highly self-transforming. According to James (1902), these are th...
| Published in: | Review of religious research |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer
2003
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| In: |
Review of religious research
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| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Two conversion "paradigms" have been described in the behavioral sciences of religion (Richardson 1985). The "classic" paradigm portrays conversions as occurring during distress, as being sudden and intense, and as highly self-transforming. According to James (1902), these are the conversions of the "sick soul". In contrast, the "contemporary" paradigm discards the study of pre-dispositional and situational influences, and describes conversions as being more gradual, and less transforming of the self. In James' terminology, these are the conversions of the "healthy minded". The article attempts to bridge the chasm between these paradigms by drawing on findings obtained from studies of individual differences in attachment security in relation to religious change. More specifically, it is argued that the conversion characteristics of the sick soul, described by the classic paradigm, are true specifically for people with insecure attachment characteristics, and those of the healthy minded, described by the contemporary paradigm, are true of people with more secure attachment characteristics. A number of issues for future studies to consider are suggested, particularly the need for real-time prospective longitudinal studies examining the long-term psychological implications of religious conversion. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3512581 |