Familial Antecedents and the Choice of a New Religious Movement

Which Person in Which Religious Group

Dados Bibliográficos

ID20199683
AutoresSussan Namini, Sebastian Murken
Ano2008
Volume11
Fascículo3
Páginas83-103
Data de publicação2008-02-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoNova Religio The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1092-6690 • E-ISSN: 1541-8480
EditoraProject MUSE (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1525/nr.2008.11.3.83
OpenAlexW2053622520
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas4
Referências citadas14

Based on the idea of a person-religion fit, this study deals with the role of early familial antecedents for choosing a new religious movement (NRM). New members of three NRMs in Germany (a Pentecostal parish, the New Apostolic Church, Jehovah's Witnesses; N = 71) were compared to each other in regard to the variables of loss of a parent, number of siblings, and birth order position. Statistical analysis revealed differences between the three groups regarding loss of a parent and trends for the number of siblings. The most striking finding was that 43 percent of the new New Apostolic members had lost their father (compared to 10 percent of the Pentecostals and 23 percent of Jehovah's Witnesses). Differences between the groups are discussed with a focus on the groups' specific structures and theologies. Overall, the idea of a person-religion fit proved to be useful for the study of biographical variables, although theoretical and empirical problems of the fit model still need to be solved. Further research on early family experiences and person-religion fit is encouraged. The need to investigate coping-related aspects is emphasized

Sociology · Clinical Psychology · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Society, and Development · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology