Sociological Approaches to Leaving Religion

Abstract

Sociological approaches on leaving religion has been part of the more general studies about secularisation and modernity since the late 1960s, where focus was on understanding the decline of religion and religious change in primarily Western societies. In this chapter Enstedt goes through sociological research on leaving religion, apostasy and deconversion from the 1960s and onwards. Research on "cults" and the so called brainwashing-hypothesis, age and gender, reasons to why, and how, one leave religion, as well as the consequences, are issues that are addressed in the chapter. In line with some recent studies, Enstedt suggests that future studies on leaving religion should shift its focus from the religious belief aspect of apostasy, to instead consider perspectives on embodiment, religious practice and materiality (for instance on clothing, and food).