The Origins and Correlates of Religious Adherence and Apostasy among Mental Health Professionals

Bibliographic Data

ID4778968
AuthorsLee Spray, S Lee Spray (York University), Josef Marx (0000-0002-9571-2312, University of Pittsburgh), John H Marx
Year1969
Volume30
Issue3
Pages132
Publication date1969-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociological Analysis (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0038-0210 • E-ISSN: 2325-7873
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/3710268
OpenAlexW2343232275
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited1

This paper examines the socio-cultural sources and personal correlates of specific types of religious adherence and apostasy among mental health professionals in three metropolitan communities. Data are presented to demonstrate the following: three types of apostasy are prevalent and clearly differentiated; apostates are neither atypical nor “deviant” and apostasy is not simply the result of individual psychological dynamics but also the result of structural processes; renunciation of religious faith is differentially associated with major cultural traditions. Based on these findings, three general conclusions are drawn: 1) apostasy and religion are both belief systems which can most profitably be examined from the perspective of group level variables and structural analysis; 2) apostasy is prevalent among highly educated and professionalized groups in metropolitan communities, such as mental health therapists, who are becoming increasingly influntial in setting societal trends; 3) the conceptual frameworks used to study religion in modern societies must be expanded to include all fundamental belief systems including religious apostasy

Apostasy · Epistemology · Faith · Geography · Mental health · Metropolitan area · Psychiatry · Medicine · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Society, and Development · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology

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