Apostasy and Conversion: Attachment Orientations and Individual Differences in the Process of Religious Change

We studied attachment-related variations in the process of apostasy (abandonment of religion) and compared these variations to those occurring in religious conversion. A sample of 280 Israeli Jews who had undergone religious change (apostasy or conversion) completed scales assessing attachment orientations, themes/motives and other characteristics of religious change, and well-being. Attachment orientations had similar associations with the two forms of religious change. Specifically, attachment anxiety was associated with reports of more sudden changes, more rejection of parents’ religiosity, and more emotional compensation themes. Attachment-related avoidance was associated with weaker exploration and socialization themes. Moreover, compensation themes, for both forms of religious change, were associated with lower well-being at present and a heightened link between attachment anxiety and distress. Socialization themes were related to greater well-being at present and a weakened link between attachment anxiety and distress. Implications for an attachment-theoretical approach to the study of life transformations are discussed.